3 minute read

After more than a year away from racing with a tendon injury, Chouxting Mob is set to return at Sandown.

Ballarat trainer Simon Morrish had Sydney Cup aspirations for Chouxting The Mob after the stayer finished an unlucky third in last year's Adelaide Cup. 

Instead, a tendon injury struck and the son of Jimmy Choux was sent for a rehabilitation program. 

Having overcome the strain and a steady build-up, Chouxting The Mob is set to resume in an 1800m handicap at Sandown on Saturday. 

Chouxting The Mob won five races in six outings during Melbourne's late autumn and winter months in 2019 and was progressing nicely for attempts at the 2020 Adelaide and Sydney Cups. 

Morrish believes Chouxting The Mob should have finished second to King Of Leogrance in the Adelaide Cup, his last racetrack appearance before the tendon injury set-back. 

"I'm not sure if he did it in the Adelaide Cup or shortly after," Morrish said. 

"We were going to head to the Sydney Cup and he had been home about two weeks when I noticed one afternoon, he was a bit puffy. 

"That's your worst fear, we had him scanned and sure enough there was a bit of a tweak there." 

Chouxting The Mob was sent to Lee Evison, renowned for his work on horses with tendon injuries, and after nine months was sent for a break. 

The stayer returned to Morrish's yard four months ago to build-up for his return that has seen him contest three trials, two over 1000m and one at St Arnaud last week over 1500m. 

"He led up in that trial, he's never led up in anything in his life," Morrish said. 

"It was good to see him competitive and I think resuming over the 1800-metre journey is a good distance, as realistically, every run he has could be his last. 

"I don't want to waste runs at 1400, 1600 metres. At the end of the day, he's a 2400-metre plus horse. 

"It's a stepping stone, but I'm really pleased to have the old boy back and hopefully he can stand up."