Beaten WA Guineas (1600m) favourite September Born has returned to trainer Neville Parnham’s stable, ahead of a Belmont campaign.
The son of Playing God finished eighth to Storyville in last November’s Group 2 event, where stewards subsequently found him to be lame post-race.
The unplaced effort ruled him out of contesting the Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) a fortnight later.
Parnham said he was pleased with how September Born was progressing early in his preparation.
“He’s back in work,” Parnham told TABradio.
“He looks great.
“He’s nice and sound and the foot he had a problem with when he pulled up lame in the Guineas seems to have blown out and come back.
“I’m looking forward to this campaign.”
Prior to his WA Guineas effort, September Born was a stylish winner of the Fairetha Stakes (1400m) and runner-up in the Belgravia Stakes (1200m).
Rather than bringing September Born back earlier to have a shot at Weight-For-Age races, like Parnham did with 2022 Fairetha Stakes winner Bustler, the Hall of Fame trainer said he would prefer to wait for Belmont.
“He will probably head towards a Belmont Guineas,” he said.
“There’s a couple of races in between.
“He’s still down a bit in the grades, so we can place him fairly easily in a 72 plus or a 66 plus if we have to come away from the three-year-old races.”
Meanwhile, Parnham said he hoped to have fellow stable stars Bustler and Zipaway back in his care within the next week.
Tim Walker
Image - Western Racepix