It has been nine outings and nearly 10 months since El Pensador claimed his previous success, yet trainer Rex Lipp remains hopeful that triumph awaits at Ipswich this Monday.
The So You Think progeny aims to capitalise on a solid return effort in the near-final race, the Seven News BM68 Handicap across 1350 metres.
The five-year-old notched a third over 1400m at Eagle Farm on April 8 upon resumption, marking his initial top-three result since victory at the upcoming track last July, reaffirming to Lipp his sharp condition upon return.
“Last preparation I just had a few little niggling things from after he came up from Melbourne,” Lipp said.
“It took a while to sort him out, but he seems to be back on track now.”
El Pensador’s trio of career victories have all occurred under Lipp, who has seen 20 starts from the horse following two unsuccessful efforts with initial handlers Tony and Calvin McEvoy in Victoria.
Although Lipp plans to extend El Pensador to 1800m later in the preparation, the shorter 1350m distance on return poses no issue.
“I wanted to give him another run over the 1350 before I step him up to the mile,” he said.
“He’s going to run a mile, even 1800 this horse, but I just want to get him right.”
Lipp also fields another import from Victoria in Arcelia, who tackles her second outing for the Toowoomba conditioner in the Great Northern Maiden Handicap (1200m), the day’s second contest.
The Japanese mare ventured north post three appearances with Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, with Lipp heartened by her third at Gatton over 1100m on April 10 in her yard debut.
“It’s taken a while to get her right, get her balanced and get her going,” Lipp said.
“She went to Melbourne, so we’ve had to get her going the other way, but I give her a good chance if everything pans out OK in the run.”
Arcelia partners with 1.5kg claiming apprentice Corey Sutherland from gate eight, while Angela Jones takes the mount on El Pensador, who has barrier 13 but shifts to 12 should emergencies miss the cut in the 16-horse lineup.
For the best Australian betting sites, explore the racing betting markets ahead of the Seven News BM68 Handicap at Ipswich.
