Group Three performer Master Brutus (NZ) (Swiss Ace) showed he has lost none of his class over his 14-month hiatus from racing when victorious in his 1000m trial at Avondale on Tuesday.
The four-year-old son of Swiss Ace hasn’t been sighted on raceday since his unplaced run in last year’s Gr.1 Levin Cassic (1600m), with the gelding undergoing surgery before having another setback later in the year.
“It is nice to have him back, he has had a couple of setback injuries and has been off the scene for quite a while,” trainer Sophia Nolan said.
“After the Levin Classic he had a bone chip taken out. He came back and then he had another little injury setback.
“We let him have a good break and he has come back stronger and is keeping nice and sound.
“We sent him down to Alex Oliveira and he went on his water treadmill for three of four weeks. He came back to us and has done a lot of slow build-up and a lot of swimming.
“He is about 50 kilos heavier than what he was last year, he has filled out a lot and he really looks like a sprinter now.”
Master Brutus led from start to finish in his heat and Nolan said she was relieved to see him feature so prominently in his first public appearance in more than a year.
“It was a big relief to see that, and he enjoyed it, he pricked his ears,” she said.
Master Brutus was a standout for Nolan last season, winning one and placing in five of his seven starts, including runner-up in the Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) and Listed Mufhasa Stakes (1400m).
A return to stakes company is the ultimate goal, but Nolan said she will take a quiet approach with her stable star’s return.
“We just want to start him off in a nice rating 75 race and see what the weather does a little bit,” she said. “There is one in Pukekohe in a couple of weeks and there are a couple of other options like Ruakaka. It think we will take it race-by-race and see how he goes.”
