Preach to determine how high the bar will be raised

By Glenn Davis

The training partnership of Toby Edmonds and Stephen McLean will wait and see how promising sprinter Preach performs in his comeback at Eagle Farm on Wednesday before formulating bigger plans.

The well-bred Preach makes his return to racing in the Class 5 Handicap after completing a winning hat-trick at his last appearance in a 1350 metre Class 6 Handicap at Doomben in October last year.

A $50,000 Magic Millions purchase, Preach hasn’t raced for a year since undergoing a tie-back operation following his latest victory.

“He’s going good so far and he’s had two barrier trials and went okay,” co-trainer McLean said. 

“He returned to work before I joined Toby after he had a breathing problem which required a tie-back operation.

“We don’t know how far he’ll get and the summer carnival is an option but it all depends how he goes on Wednesday.

“It’s day-by-day with horses who have had a throat operation.”

Preach was pin hooked at the Magic Millions sales after being bought for $18,000 by Newgate Stud Farm at the Magic Millions National Weanling sales before going under the hammer at the yearling sales.

The son of Flying Artie is a half-brother to multiple Group 2-winner Rain Affair who was placed four times at Group 1 level on his way to collecting more than $1.5 million in prize money.

“I was still at school when Rain Affair was winning but he is well-bred,” McLean said.

McLean only recently joined Edmonds in a training partnership and the pair already have an impressive strike rate of almost 16 per cent with seven wins from 44 starters this season.

“The training partnership is going super,” McLean said.

“Toby is happy, I’m happy, the staff are happy and so too are the horses.

“The fact that this horse is back racing is a massive tick itself.”

Preach has been under Edmonds’ care his entire career which has produced five wins and six placings from 14 starts for prize money in excess of $235,000.

He has already proven himself at metropolitan level winning twice at Doomben as well as at Eagle Farm.

So far, his winning range has been between 1100 and 1400 metres and is a proven first-up winner from three attempts.