13 September 2019 | AMANDA RANDO
GRAND Circuit pacer Bling It On is making a racetrack return.
Having stood at stud and served close to 200 mares, the nine-year-old stallion will trial at Menangle on Monday.
Bling It On feels well enough for a racing return according to regular driver Luke McCarthy.
“Yank is back,” said McCarthy.
“I’ve driven him in fast work and in a couple of private trials around Menangle and he feels as good as he ever has.
“I’m pretty confident he will make a strong return based on the way his work has been.”
Bling It On had his last race start on June 9, 2018, in the Group 3 J.D. Watts Memorial and the decision was made to pull the pin on his racing career after he finished ninth.
He then spent nine months in the paddock but $1.6million earner had other ideas on paddock life.
“He was running around and looked really sound,” said McCarthy.
“He is a type that does a little too well in the paddock and was getting a bit on the heavier side so the decision was made to jog him over the winter.
“He was sound and felt so good, they decided to press on with him and now he is trialling.
“If connections thought he couldn’t get back to racing at the top level they wouldn’t entertain the idea of bringing him back in work but his work has been so strong.
“He will keep doing stud work and if we are happy with him on Monday we’ll keep going with him.”
Bling It On won the 2017 A.G. Hunter Cup in Victoria and three starts later was involved in a race fall at Albion Park and sustained injuries that was then thought to be career ending.
After extensive rehabilitation, the son of American Ideal returned to the races five months later and won his first three starts back, including his 1:50.8 career best performance at Menangle.
He placed in his three starts after that, however, finished out of the money in his last three starts.
In his time away from the racetrack he has sustained a stud career with his oldest progeny now yearlings.
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