Having been left in the paddock waiting to be picked up for a career in the equestrian field, Prix De Turn (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) is making a comeback to the racetrack.
Having not raced since the Yarra Valley Cup (1968m) in March last year, Prix De Turn heads to the Sportsbet Race Replays Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
A rising seven-year-old, Prix De Turn has only two wins to his credit, including the Gr.2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley, from 18 career starts, but has always displayed plenty of talent.
Prix De Turn was thrown in the deep end at his second career start, finishing seventh behind Anamoe (Street Boss) in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in 2021 having finished second in a maiden at Sandown on debut.
Trainer Matthew Brown said he was always managing niggling problems with Prix De Turn, but after an extended break he has come back a different horse.
“He’s a horse that has pretty average conformation, and feet, and always had niggling issues,” Brown said.
“He’s talented, but the issues caught up with him and in the end, he was putting in some poor runs for a reason.
“He had trialled well before Yarra Valley last year, but he was pretty scratchy after the race, so we decided to pretty much pull up stumps with him.
“We had people that were going to take him as a show-horse or an eventer, but nine or 10 months later he was still sitting in the paddock at our place.
“So, we trotted him up, had a look at him, and he was sound, and we thought we may as well go again with him.”
Prix De Turn has had two jump-outs in preparation for his return and ran fourth in his most recent on heavy ground.
Brown said he was treating Saturday’s outing like another trial to see if Prix De Turn still has the zest for racing and has engaged apprentice Rose Hammond for the ride.
Her 3kg claim will bring Prix De Turn with 50kg on Saturday.
“Saturday is going to be pretty much like a third trial for him, but his two trials have been OK, and he closed off well on a pretty wet track last time behind some pretty sharp ones,” Brown said.
“We’re trying to help him a bit, and he gets in with 50 kilos after the claim.
“We want to see if he still wants to do it, but if he puts the white flag up early, he might be in retirement, or we may have a change of mind and send him over to Glenn Stevenson and train him off the beach down in Tassie and give him another go down there.
“But all signs are that he is fit, he’s healthy and in a good headspace.”