Better Than Ready not ready for spring

Monday 11 August 2014, 2:28pm

Injury-prone sprinter Better Than Ready will soon begin pre-training but spring racing is out of reach.

Trainer Kelly Schweida is not giving up on getting him back for the summer features at home in Brisbane ahead of an autumn campaign.

Schweida admitted he was a frustrating horse to train with a torn hamstring the latest problem to interrupt his career as he was being prepared for races in Sydney and Melbourne.

Schweida had been looking at the Missile Stakes at Randwick for Better Than Ready's first spring run but the horse was in the spelling paddock when Sweet Idea won on Saturday.

The now four-year-old came back from injury to win both his Brisbane starts in November and then ran fourth behind the world's number one sprinter, Lankan Rupee, in the Group Two Rubiton Stakes at Caulfield in February.

Schweida had planned to start him in the Group One Oakleigh Plate but Better Than Ready was sent for a spell after injuring his hoof.

"It has been one thing after another with him. He even put himself into a fence at Doomben earlier in his career," Schweida said.

"But he is ready to go back into pre-training on the water walker at Washpool Lodge. The spring is too soon and the thing I have to decide is whether to bring him back for our summer sprint races.

"The other option is to give him a really long rest and prepare for the Melbourne and Sydney autumn next year."

Better Than Ready has won eight of his 16 starts and prizemoney in excess of $484,000. He showed his class as an early three-year-old when he broke the 1200m record at Randwick in the Brian Crowley Stakes.

Another talented sprinter, General Jackson, is likely to do the remainder of his racing in Victoria after again hanging off the track at Eagle Farm in the Jade Open (1000m) on Saturday.

General Jackson originally raced in Queensland but had been with Mick Price in Melbourne for several months, winning races at Moonee Valley and Morphettville in Adelaide.

He returned home last month for a fourth at Caloundra but hung badly at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Trainer Mick Mair indicated General Jackson was likely to return to Victoria and anti-clockwise racing.

– AAP

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