Schweida welcomes Better Than Ready return

Sunday 4 August 2013, 2:01pm

Trainer Kelly Schweida is mulling over spring carnival options for Better Than Ready who resumes trackwork on Monday.

Better Than Ready has completed a stint of pre-training at Washpool Lodge, west of Brisbane, where he has been spelling for the past two months.

"He's spent the past couple of weeks on the water walker and he looks really well," Schweida said.

"I wanted to give him enough time to let his hooves grow which they have but the main thing is he needed to have a really good break.

"He's pretty big around the girth so now I'll be working on getting the weight off him."

The four-year-old ran the worst race of his life in the Stradbroke Handicap won by Linton on June 8 when he finished last in the 18-horse field.

Schweida remains mystified by the performance but noted the entire was unusually distressed after the race after taking charge of jockey Craig Newitt during his preliminary.

A comeback race for Better Than Ready hasn't been decided although the City Tattersall's Lightning Handicap (1000m) at Randwick in late October is a possibility.

It is run on the same program as the Sir Brian Crowley Stakes which Better Than Ready won last year and broke Northern Meteor's 1200m track record.

"I haven't had a chance to look at the Sydney program yet and we'll decide if he races there first up or goes to Melbourne instead," Schweida said.

"The main aim is to try to win a Group One race with him to boost his stud value."

Meanwhile Black Magic is in pre-training after recovering from a torn chest muscle which ruled her out of the BTC Cup.

Trainer Bruce Brown said Black Magic injured herself in a hitout at Doomben the week before the BTC Cup which forced her onto the sideline.

The mare won the Listed Juanmo Stakes at Eagle Farm on April 20 and is due to return to Brown's stables at the end of August.

Galaxy winner Temple Of Boom will be flown to Melbourne on Tuesday ahead of his return to racing in Saturday's Group Three Auries Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington.

– AAP

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