The Locomotive steaming towards a racetrack return

GLOBETROTTING Aussie star The Locomotive (Muscle Mass) is nearing a racetrack return.

Trainer-driver Brad Hewitt said the 2024 Inter Dominion champion was on target to race late next month.

The plan is to build towards the big trotting races in Victoria early next year, headed by the Great Southern Star.

The Locomotive hasn’t raced since the last of his runs in Sweden in mid-June.

The Swedish trip didn’t go as hoped, so connections aborted it early to get the five -year-old back home to spell and then target the big Aussie races next year.

In other stable news, Hewitt confirmed his star pacer Captains Knock would bypass tomorrow week’s Group 1 Victoria Cup.

“He’s not going. We’re setting him for the NSW Carnival of Cups,” Hewitt said.

“There’s a chance I’ll still go down (to Victoria) with Horn Player.”

Captains Knock hasn’t raced since a terrific second in the Group 1 Len Smith Mile at Menangle on September 6.

The much-improved Horn Player gets his chance to impress from a good draw (gate two, but will move into the pole) in the Kevin Robinson free-for-all (1609m) at Menangle tomorrow night.

He is $5.50 third favourite behind Jason Grimson’s star speedster Hi Manameisjeff and the rejuvenated Ripp ($3.30).

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Australia