Victorem Returns From Injury With Gr1 Goal

After missing the spring with a bone chip, group performer Victorem (I Am Invincible-Playful Miss, by Foreplay) will resume in Saturday's Gr3 Cellarbrations Southern Cross Stakes over 1200m at Randwick, reports racingnsw.com.au. "He's not screwed right down yet but I'm happy with where he is at this stage," trainer Jenny Graham said. "I wanted to trial him in a little bit better company to see how he was coming up and whether I'm heading in the right direction. I was happy with how he trialled and how he's come on so we'll give it a shot." The 2018 Country Championship winner and 2019 Kosciuskzo runner up will be aimed at the Gr1 Canterbury Stakes next month, all going well. It is a challenge against this opposition, there's a few getting five and six kilos and that's a concern when you start stepping up to this level," she said. "They're not going to give it to me. We'll have to be on song but going forward he has improvement left and hopefully he will run a great race and improve off that. If everything goes in the right pattern I feel the horse is still capable at a high level for sure." 6YO gelding Victorem has won 8 of his 20 starts, and over $1.2 million; and shouldn't be confused with NZ bred 3YO filly Victorem (Shooting to Win-Gymnast, by More Than Ready) who runs in this Saturday's Gr2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic at Te Rapa.

Victorem (black and white) is hunting a Gr1 win (pic: Steve Hart)