FLEMENSTAR'S return to the track edged a step closer on Thursday morning when he came through his first piece of fast work with flying colours.
Owner Stephen Curran has pencilled in a mid-March outing for the three-time Grade 1 winner, possibly over hurdles.
The Cheltenham Festival will come too soon, but Punchestown in April could be on the cards for the ten-year-old who was last seen in November 2013 when winning the Fortria Chase at Navan.
That victory was on his first start for Tony Martin having left Peter Casey, but Flemenstar then picked up a tendon injury the following month.
"I was thrilled with what he did. It was his first piece of fast work and he did a nice canter. I couldn't have been happier with him," Curran said on Thursday.
"We have a lot of slow work done with him and, the more work he does, the better his legs get. The next three weeks will tell us a lot.
"We'll be stepping his work up another few gears and that will tell us where we are with him. He certainly doesn't look to have lost any of his enthusiasm and he seems as good as ever but only time will tell.
"We'll bring him to the Curragh in three weeks for a spin and that should tell us where we stand. I would hope he would be back on a racecourse in March, maybe the middle of March.
"We won't be pitching him straight back into a Grade 1, we'll be taking baby steps and we could even run him over hurdles. He's a horse that needs a lot of care and attention but, touch wood, it's been so far so good with him."
Owner Stephen Curran has pencilled in a mid-March outing for the three-time Grade 1 winner, possibly over hurdles.
The Cheltenham Festival will come too soon, but Punchestown in April could be on the cards for the ten-year-old who was last seen in November 2013 when winning the Fortria Chase at Navan.
That victory was on his first start for Tony Martin having left Peter Casey, but Flemenstar then picked up a tendon injury the following month.
"I was thrilled with what he did. It was his first piece of fast work and he did a nice canter. I couldn't have been happier with him," Curran said on Thursday.
"We have a lot of slow work done with him and, the more work he does, the better his legs get. The next three weeks will tell us a lot.
"We'll be stepping his work up another few gears and that will tell us where we are with him. He certainly doesn't look to have lost any of his enthusiasm and he seems as good as ever but only time will tell.
"We'll bring him to the Curragh in three weeks for a spin and that should tell us where we stand. I would hope he would be back on a racecourse in March, maybe the middle of March.
"We won't be pitching him straight back into a Grade 1, we'll be taking baby steps and we could even run him over hurdles. He's a horse that needs a lot of care and attention but, touch wood, it's been so far so good with him."
