By Michael Guerin
The big fella is coming back.
Wonder horse Christian Cullen will return to work today just a month after a tendon injury which knocked him out of the Interdoms and apparently into retirement.
In a shock move trainer Brian O'Meara said yesterday he will aim Christian Cullen at an exclusive series of races.
"He will have his leg scanned again in three weeks but the way it looks at the moment I am 90 per cent certain he will race again next season," said O'Meara.
If that scan shows Christian Cullen's tendon injury is recovering as expected he will be kept in light work over the winter.
"He will start jogging lightly now and if we keep that up over the winter I am sure the leg will repair itself. I am confident he will be back."
One of the reasons behind Christian Cullen's possible return to the track is the $A1million Interdominion Pacing Grand Final at Moonee Valley next season.
"We are not trying to be greedy but that is an awfully big race and we would love to have him spot on for that."
Returning to the track after his recent leg problems is a risky business so O'Meara will restrict Christian Cullen's racing next season to the big targets.
"I want to start him fresh-up in the Ashburton Flying Stakes as a lead-up to the New Zealand Cup and then go back and try and win another Miracle Mile," he said.
"After that we will take things easy and aim him for the summer carnival, with races like the Victoria and Hunter Cups and the Interdominions."
But the planned return to the track may not rule out a stud career for Christian Cullen.
Enormous interest from throughout Australasia has raised the possibility of mixing racing and stud duties.
"With artificial insemination we could simply collect semen from him once or twice a week and serve mares with that, which I don't think would be a big problem. It is worth looking at."
But O'Meara did have one warning for the Christian Cullen fan club.
His return is definitely the last shake of the dice and should the tendon injury flare up again the champion will definitely be retired for good.
"But I think at this stage he still has improvement in him and he deserves another crack at the track."
The turnaround also keeps alive the possibility of harness racing's dream clash - a Christian Cullen-Courage Under Fire war - with the Interdominions the most likely battle ground.
Horse Racing: Cullen to return for Interdominions
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