3 minute read
The best days are behind Great Again and he’s close to retirement; however, trainer Jayden Lyall says the 10-year-old still maintains an appetite and zest for racing.
Jayden Lyall plans on ending Great Again's career after his forthcoming campaign, but believes the gelding has one more big win left in him before he bows out of racing.
"He's come back this time and is showing a lot more zest in his work and his personality," Lyall told The Races WA.
"He's putting it all together and seems to be in a real happy spot at the moment. I'm really pleased with him.
"He's in that zone and hopefully with races coming up we can pick one up with him.
"He's work at home has been really good and he's doing everything right.
"I've been doing a lot of swimming with him which he loves.
"Realistically this will be his last hurrah and it will send him out with a bang that he deserves.
"After this prep, this will be it, so it will be nice if he can go out in style.
"He'll go to the Beaufine (1000m), the Bolton (1200m), Newmarket (1200m) and the Idyllic Prince Stakes (1300m).
"If we could sneak one it would be icing on the cake."
Great Again united with Lyall last year after returning from Lindsey Smith's Warrnambool set up.
Renowned as a wet track specialist, he won 10 races for Smith including three listed events.
He won the Belmont Newmarket (1200m) and Idyllic Prince Stakes (1300m) in Perth and the Straight Six (1200m) at Flemington.
Great Again has not raced in nine months, his last campaign was something of a write off after he finished eighth in the Farnley Stakes (1400m) and Nicopolis Stakes (1200m).
But the build up to his return gathered momentum when he won a Belmont trial on Monday, leading all the way to ward off the challenge from Coming Around.
Lyall said after two trial hit outs, he's happy to start Great Again's final campaign.
"There were some nice horses in his trial and it looked good," Lyall said.
"Coming Around came after him to show his hand, but the old boy (Great Again) wouldn't let him past him."
