APRIL WELL ON COMEBACK TRAIL

Now with trainer Le Grange, he wins trial in fine fashion and looks set to compete again

- Brian Miller

It has been a year and five months since we last saw April win a race.

That was on Feb 25, 2023, and racegoers were mostly impressed with his fighting spirit.

That day, when having just his second race start, April did not have the smoothest of runs in that Open Maiden 1,400m contest.

He was obliged to race wide for most of the trip and looked to be floundering when the field negotiated that sweeping left-hander which brought them to the top of the home stretch.

That day, racegoers had sent him off as the $14 top pick and, for a while, their money looked cold.

Who would have expected the son of Swiss Ace to do anything from that awkward position? But, boy, did he surprise them.

With under a furlong to travel, April responded to jockey Simon Kok's wake-up call and sprouted wings in the run home.

Taking the bit between his teeth, he hit the front at the 150m but had to contend with a determined challenge from Tantheman before prevailing by a nose.

That day, he had shown loads of promise but somehow, in six subsequent starts, he could not replicate that winning show.

Since transferring from Stephen Gray's yard in October, 2023, April has yet to face the starter in 2024.