Gr1-Winner Scenic Shot Returns After 12-Months Break

Trainer Dan Morton confirmed Gr1-winning 8YO gelding Scenic Shot (Scenic-Sweepshot, by Dr Grace) will return in Saturday's Chester Manifold Stakes (1400m) at Flemington in Melbourne, 13 months after his last racetrack appearance. Scenic Shot (who last raced in the C.B.Cox Stakes at Ascot in Perth on 19 December 2009) finished 5th behind superstar So You Think in the 2009 Gr1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley & then a week later won the Gr1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington, but Morton said Scenic Shot's subsequent absence from the track was "nothing more than the effects of wear & tear", emphasising: "He didn't really have any major problems. He's an 8YO with wear & tear after a couple of big campaigns under his belt." Morton said Scenic Shot will run "almost every 2 weeks" leading up to the $1 million Gr1 Australian Cup (2000m) on March 12 & declared: "I'm really pleased with how he's come up."