Trainer Mike Moroney will use The Country Discovery (1100m) to kick-start the latest campaign of Bermadez (NZ) (Tavistock).
The A$500,000 race at Geelong on Friday will the shortest race that Bermadez has contested in his 18-start career that has netted the gelding six wins.
Bermadez start his career in a blaze of glory winning on debut at Geelong over 1250m in August 2020 then returned the following May to win his second start over 1400m.
The gelding’s biggest win came in the Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Final in November 2021 while he returned the following March to win over 1200m at Flemington.
Later in that campaign, Bermadez added a 1700m victory to his record at Warrnambool last May, his most recent victory.
Bermadez has not raced since finishing ninth on a significantly wet track in the Listed Ballarat Cup last November.
Moroney said ideally, he would have preferred to find a 1400m contest first-up for Bermadez, but just thought he need a hit-out before stepping up to that trip.
This time last year, Bermadez contested the Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield which will this year be run at Sandown.
Bermadez finished 14th to Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj) in the Victoria Handicap having finished second to Gentleman Roy in the Mugatoo Quality (1600m) at Flemington at his previous run.
Moroney said Friday’s race came around at the right time.
“He seems good, but he’s a tricky sort of a guy,” Moroney said.
“He’s won down the straight at Flemington but he is sort of a miler. However, he’s fresh and we saw this race and it was the only ideal race.
“He wasn’t quite forward enough for the 1400 (metres) first-up, so we thought we would have a go at this and see how he’s going.
“He’s run really well down the straight fresh over 1200 metres, so we’re hoping.”
