Owner-breeder Peter Gleeson believes his star pacer Ride High had some of the brilliance taken out of him before a much-hyped return to racing last month.
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The Clayton Tonkin-trained son of Art Major won his first start back from injury at Tabcorp Park Melton on November 9, but was far from breathtaking in a narrow victory over Hurricane Harley, which ran him to a half-neck despite some cheap sections in the lead.
Gleeson felt Ride High worked too hard in two trials, which included a sizzling effort alongside Tam Major that equalled Lennytheshark's 2040-metre Tabcorp Park 2018 record.
"He didn't look so impressive when he won that race, the 4YO & 5YO Championship, and I said to Clayton a few days later that I reckon he's had the edge taken off him in those two trials and he said: 'so do I'," Gleeson said.
Gleeson said Tonkin had then backed off the horse in his work and given him some time between his next run, which will be in this Saturday night's TAB Multiplier Westburn Grant Free For All (2240m).
"(Clayton) won't start a horse unless he is 100 per cent happy with the way it's going to go," Gleeson said.
"He wants to win every time he goes out... not only with Ride High, but with any horse he has got."
Gleeson, 70, has been involved in horses for most of his life and believes Ride High could reach - or even surpass - the heights of a grand pacer he bred named Safe And Sound.
That son of Safely Kept won close to $1million in prizemoney in a career that captured many big races, including the 2002 AG Hunter Cup.
"If he stays sound, he'll be as good as Safe And Sound, or maybe better," he said.
"Clayton just thinks he is the best horse he's ever had. So we just have to wait and see how it all unfolds... the biggest worry is little niggling injuries that come along.
"And you never know from one day to the next when they're going to go amiss. And then you spend your life trying to patch them up again."
Ride High will be driven by Greg Sugars on Saturday night and has drawn barrier four in the small field of eight starters.
His rivals include Greg Scholefield's recent Stawell Pacing Cup champ Emain Macha, Mick Stanley's top-liner Rackemup Tigerpie and Peter Manning's quality mare Reciprocity.
