Ability up for return after Werribee trial

A placing in a Werribee barrier trial has Ability ready for a return to the racetrack.

Ability ran second to Balancing Act with Craig Williams aboard in Monday’s 800m-trial and is set to run at Flemington on Saturday week.

The former Robert Smerdon-trained sprinter, now in the care of Henry Dwyer, hasn’t raced since finishing sixth at Caulfield in October.

Ability underwent an operation to remove bone chips from a knee and has been given a steady build-up.

Monday’s trial was his third since the operation and Dwyer said Ability was ready to run at Flemington on June 9 over 1000m.

“He’s a big gross horse who had a long spell and probably needed to do a bit which he did,” Dwyer said.

“Craig didn’t think he was all that happy on the choppy ground but he got back and finished it off nicely.

“He pulled up well from it so I think he’s on track to go back to the races.”

Ability won the All Victorian Sprint final at Flemington last year before going on to win the Bletchingly Stakes at Sandown last August.

His return run is a heat of the sprint series he won last year.

“He’ll get more weight this year and he might be topweight when he returns but it will set him up well for races like the Monash and Bletchingly towards the end of winter,” Dwyer said.

“The winter racing suits with the issues he has with his knees.

“Hopefully we can get a couple of wins out of him and cuddle him through.”