Talented Import to Make Raceday Return

The well-travelled Cheval Prometteur (Declaration of War) will make his raceday return at Ruakaka on Saturday after an injury enforced layoff. The 6YO gelding suffered a stress fracture in a cannon bone last year when preparing for the Gr3 Jarden Stakes (2000m) and trainer Catherine Cameron has taken a cautious approach with his return. “We were getting him ready for the 2000m weight-for-age at Ellerslie on Melbourne Cup day,” Cameron told NZ Racing Desk. “But we found he had a stress fracture in his cannon bone, which we luckily picked up before it got worse.” It’s not the first time Cheval Prometteur has undergone rehab under Cameron’s guidance, with the former European galloper coming into her care after suffering a knee issue in Hong Kong. Her previous method worked a treat on the son of Declaration Of War, who went on to win two races and finish runner-up in his three other starts for Cameron last year, so she elected to take a similar approach this time around. Cheval Prometteur finished runner-up in his 950m trial on Cambridge’s synthetic track last week and will make his raceday return in the One Tree Point Motel Bream Bay Sprint (1200m) at Ruakaka on Saturday. While well short of his best distance, Cameron believes it will be a good starting point for the gelding, who could be in line for his first trip to the South Island in August to contest the Gr3 Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton.

Cheval Prometteur returns to the track (pic: Race Images Kenton Wright)