Singing being tuned for return next spring

ANDREAS WOHLER, the Melbourne-Cup-winning trainer, could be set for a return to Flemington next November with Singing, another German import owned by Australian Bloodstock.

The Singspiel entire was set to join the Kris Lees team for the spring but was injured after running second to Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist in Group II over 2414m at Hamburg in June.

It put on hold the plans for Singing to travel to Australia and he has joined Wohler for next year in an effort to get him back racing.

‘‘He is qualified for both the Cups already and we are just going to take him along slowly and see if Andreas can get him back in form,’’ Australian Bloodstock’s Jamie Lovett said. ‘‘It is similar to what happened with Protectionist this year, we had to be happy that he was back before committing to coming out here.

‘‘It will be the same with Sing- ing. He needs to win a couple of races to be assured of start in the big races, if he does he will be here next spring. There are no guarantees in racing though.’’

Singing had been set for the Caulfield Cup after recording two Group III placings earlier in the year, before being runner-up to Protectionist under Wohler’s care.

He is lightly raced, like Protectionist, winning three of his 12 starts and has been around the money at black type level, including a three-length fourth to Flintshire in the Group I Juddmonte Grand Prix over 2400m at Longchamp in June 2013.

‘‘He is a serious horse and if he didn’t get injured he would have been right in the Caulfield Cup this year,’’ Lovett said.

Lees had planned to be in England for the quarantine period for Singing in August until the injury.

‘‘He is a nice horse and it was very unfortunate that he had the problems and we didn’t get to see him out here,’’ Lees said.