King Pulse on comeback trail

By Mark Ryan, Jan 17 AAP

King Pulse will have his first fast gallop at Flemington on Tuesday as he is readied for a remarkable comeback to racing.

The talented galloper suffered career threatening injuries when a freak hail storm hit Flemington in March last year.

The Mike Moroney-trained Canny Lad gelding had just run a slashing first-up fourth to Wanted in the Group One Newmarket Handicap (1200m) run in driving rain as the storm approached the course.

Following the race King Pulse took fright, slipped and broke free of his handler in the tunnel as he was being led back from the mounting yard to the birdcage area.

He crashed into a running rail and became wedged between two running rails suffering lacerations and bruising.

He was taken to Werribee Veterinary Clinic and was found to have floating bone chips in the shoulder and a dropped hip, both on the off side.

"He'll do his first fast work tomorrow and we'll look to giving him a jump out in two or three weeks," Moroney's stable manager Anthony Feroce said.

"We're looking towards the end of February to kick him off.

"He's entered for the Newmarket and that will definitely be an option if Mike's happy with him."

The $1 million Newmarket Handicap is on March 12.

Now a four-year-old, King Pulse has raced only four times to date for two wins including one over 1200 metres at Caulfield in October 2009.

He followed that with a nose second to Headway in the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington before his latest outing in the 2010 Newmarket.

Stablemate Brazilian Pulse, who completed the Wakeful Stakes-VRC Oaks double last spring, is coming along well in preparation for an AJC Australian Oaks campaign which will begin with the Group Two Kewney Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 12.

"She's going really well and looks terrific," Feroce said.