Young trainer Rhys Radford is keen to get Comfort Me back to the races and right a few wrongs from when he was last competing.
Comfort Me couldn’t get warm in the winter and was no match for Elite Street in a cameo campaign at Northam and Belmont Park.
Comfort Me beat two runners home in the Northam Stakes (1100m) and was well beaten in the Roma Cup (1200m), leaving Radford with no option other than to pull the plug on the gelding’s campaign.
Radford’s high hopes to see Comfort Me come back and perform in feature winter races were dashed after the son of Playing God reached a career peak in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) when second to Western Empire.
Radford said there were genuine reasons for Comfort Me’s underwhelming efforts and he expects him to rebound strongly as he launches his season return in the Group 3 Crown Perth-Eurythmic Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on Saturday.
“He had a virus so we abandoned ship for that prep,” Radford told The Races WA.
“It took a bit out of him, but hopefully we have him back on track.
“Saturday will be a telling sign, but I’ve been over the moon with both his trials
“He’s trained on since then and I’m looking for a very forward showing.”
Comfort Me finished powerfully to run over the top of Indian Pacific in his first trial at Lark Hill before running second to the same galloper when under little pressure from jockey Peter Knuckey at Belmont.
Perfectly suited in barrier six, Comfort Me will be ridden by Knuckey, his first sit on the six-year-old since they paired up in the Railway last November.
Comfort Me has been a firmer with Tabtouch to take out the Eurythmic Stakes first up.
He opened the $4.40 favourite and has been cut to $4.
God Has Chosen is next at $4.20 with Resortman $5 and Cup Night $8.
“I’m very happy with the horse and I think we’ll be right in it,” Radford says.
“If the right horse turns up he can definitely play a part.
“Everything is in his favour, especially at set weights and penalties and he’s drawn well.”