Back to where it all began?

Star may head north

INCENTIVISE could go back to where it all began and become the headline horse of this year’s Queensland winter carnival.

There is still a lot of water to pass under the bridge but the 2021 Caulfield Cup winner, who made his first official appearance in 14 months when having a jumpout at Pakenham last week, could make his long-awaited return to racing in the Sunshine State.

It is possible Incentivise could race at the back end of the autumn carnival but a winter carnival mission, a potential springboard into the spring carnival, appears more likely.

“I would think at this stage his targets would be more likely in Queensland and then following into the spring,” part-owner Ozzie Kheir said.

“The next trial will tell us a lot more where he is at, as we will ask for a bit more of an effort.

“He will have most likely have another two trials and then we will kick him off at either 1600 or 2000m, whatever Peter Moody thinks.

“We know that Incentivise loves the Queensland weather and he seems to go good there, so why not?”

It would be a coup for the Queensland winter carnival if the three-time Group 1 winner, one of the rolled gold stars of Australian racing, was to appear in the Sunshine State.

The Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) and $1.2m Q22 (2200m) could be on the cards if the Queensland mission takes shape.

It would be a case of back to where it all began for Incentivise, who was last seen finishing runner-up to Verry Elleegant in the 2021 Melbourne Cup.

Incentivise was bred in Queensland by Toowoomba trainer Steve Tregea, who raced him early in his career as he made the racing world sit up and take notice.

He put six wins in a row on the board for Tregea before being sold and ending up in the care of Moody in Victoria.

Incentivise showed he was the real deal when scoring the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes, Group 1 Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup in an astonishing run during the 2021 Victorian spring carnival.

But a series of setbacks including leg issues have stymied his progress and have since kept him sidelined.

Incentivise has won nine of 13 starts and more than $5.7m in prizemoney.