Valley return for stakes winner Anaheim

After missing a start at Caulfield last weekend, stakes winner Anaheim will instead kick off his spring campaign in a benchmark race at Moonee Valley.

Anaheim was an acceptor in a 1400m handicap last Saturday but failed to get a run as third emergency, forcing his trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young to wait another week.

The four-year-old resumes in Saturday’s MiMatch Handicap (1509m).

“The Valley is probably not his track but he’s got to get his campaign rolling,” Busuttin said.

“There’s no firm targets for him. I think there’s a nice race in the spring somewhere for him but as to what level, we’ll see.

“He’s come back well and I think he’s in for a good preparation.”

Anaheim won a Listed race over 1800m during last year’s Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington.

While he went winless in six starts during his autumn campaign Anaheim had three top-five finishes in Group One races against his own age.

He was fifth in the Australian Guineas (1600m) and fourth in the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) before failing in the Australian Derby (2400m).

Two starts later he got another crack at a Group One race and ran on from back in the field for fifth in the South Australian Derby.

“His three-year-old form should probably look a bit better than it does,” Busuttin said.

“I think he was unlucky in the Australian Guineas and should have finished closer. In the Rosehill Guineas he copped that heavy track.”