Windstorm to return in Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield
Windstorm will line up in the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday, ending a near three-year break from racing.
The top horse racing betting sites have the son of Redoute’s Choice as a $15 chance in the 1200m contest worth $200,000.
Coming back from a hip injury, the race will be the six-year-old gelding’s first start for trainer John Leek Jnr.
Following stints with Grant Williams and Michael Grantham, he joined the Leek stable in September last year.
Windstorm’s last start was in the 2020 running of the Golden Eagle, where he finished 14th in an 18-horse field.
He has been spelled for the past 42 weeks, but trainer Leek is confident of his chances in the Bletchingly.
“Yes, he is looking great,” he said.
“He will obviously need this race to see we’re we are at with him.”
Windstorm will come out of gate eight for Saturday’s race, with Beau Mertens booked for the ride.
Leek said that the draw was favourable for Windstorm and gives him space to race.
“It will keep him out of trouble,” he said.
Windstorm has raced 12 times for seven wins and two placings, with $449,690 in prize money banked for connections.
Online bookmakers have the Matthew Ellerton-trained General Beau as race favourite at $3.60, with It’sourtime ($4), Ingratiating ($5) and Mnementh ($6) as the only hopes paying single digits.
Last year’s Bletchingly Stakes was taken out by King Of Sparta in a tight finish over Scallopini and Mariamia.