Declarationofheart to resume at Sandown

Trainer Anthony Freedman is hoping Declarationofheart can recapture form starting at Sandown.

Declarationofheart has been gelded since his spring preparation and the three-year-old will step out at Sandown to begin a campaign aimed towards autumn Group One races.

Trainer Anthony Freedman shelved a Caulfield Guineas start lastspring for Declarationofheart and instead connections sent him for a spell and a gelding operation.

He resumes in Wednesday’s Highways Lunar New Year Handicap over 1300m on a path towards the Australian Guineas (1600m) in Melbourne and longer Classic races in Sydney.

“We’re hoping now he can show his real talent on the racecourse with his mind fully on the job,” Freedman’s racing manager Brad Taylor said.

“He did become very colty and hard to handle on the ground and then you could see that in his races that his mind wasn’t on the job.

“In his work leading into the Caulfield Guineas you could tell his mind was in other places so we made the decision on the Tuesday morning before the Guineas to spell him and geld him straight away and it’s done him the world of good.

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“We’re hoping we can repay the owners for their patience and hopefully he can crack through for that Group One because we certainly know he’s got the talent to do so.”

Declarationofheart won his first two starts at Geelong and Sandown.

He finished fourth in a Listed 1400m race at Flemington before running 10th in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m).

Declarationofheart won over 1300m at Sandown first-up last campaign, although Taylor believes he is probably looking for further now.

“He might not be as sharp as he was when he won first-up last preparation but he’s a horse who really lifts for race day,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to getting him back to the races and he should run well in what is a very competitive race for a benchmark 70.”

Declarationofheart’s program could include the CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) on Saturday week ahead of the Australian Guineas, with the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and Australian Derby (2400m) in Sydney also on the radar.