Racing
Craig sticks with Craig in Lord Stakes
Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are expecting vast improvement second-up from Craig.
A ring rusty Craig is set for his second assignment back from surgery which result in the promising galloper spending a year on the sidelines.
Firstly, a bone chip followed by an operation for a breathing problem saw the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained galloper off the racetrack for 12 months.
After an 'OK' run first-up at Caulfield last month, Craig heads to Sandown on Friday to contest the Listed Lord Stakes (1600m) under Craig Williams.
Busuttin had been confident Craig could reach Group 1 level before his problems adding the gelding will run a vastly improved race on Boxing Day.
"He was OK first-up but lacked a bit of ringcraft, he was very rusty," Busuttin said.
"It's a bit different when you're fresh up against maidens or class 1 horses, but he's going well and he's come on big time from it.
"He had a chip taken out of a joint and then when we got him back, he went in the wind.
"I thought the wind operation had worked, nine out of 10 times they don't, and he's still got to go out do it, but Craig (Williams) came back in and said his breathing was fine.
"I was happy when he rang up for the ride, so that tells a bit of the story.
"He can get off and say blah, blah, blah, but him wanting to ride him next time tells you something."
Williams partnered Craig when he finished seventh in the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on November 29.
Busuttin said the gelding's work since had been strong.
Whether Craig can again reach the heights that saw him run second to Antino in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield in 2024, Busuttin is unsure, but he is confident Craig will run well.
"He's run second in a Toorak, albeit beaten a fair way, but he's Group 1 class," Busuttin said.
"Now he's got to come back and show us that after the wind op, but if he was right, and its pie in the sky, but the All-Star Mile and those sorts of races could be on the radar.
"It's not long now until you're starting to get ready for those races.
"Best case scenario, he runs well Friday and we then can give him a freshen up for the autumn."
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