Racing: Flame Proof to ignite comeback

Nothing kick-starts a top jockey's comeback more than climbing on a good horse.

The question of whether Flame Proof is the one to do that for international rider Catherine Treymane may not be definitive after his Ruakaka assignment today.

But Treymane, who also trains the exciting Cambridge 3-year-old, will at least have a much clearer idea if he's the potential headline grabber she hopes after his fresh-up effort in the intermediate 1400.

"If he runs up to his ability he can win, but I still think he'll improve with the run," said Treymane, who has only taken a handful of rides since returning to the track last month after retiring.

Flame Proof hasn't started since being flattened 200m from home in an intermediate 2000m event at Matamata last December.

That race was supposed to be a major lead-up into the New Zealand Derby for the gelding.

But soon after that, the combination of a cold and swelling in a joint forced Treymane to reluctantly turn the athletic The Commander black out for a long summer spell with just three races under his belt.

While he may lack race sharpness today, Treymane is thrilled with the way Flame Proof has worked and trialled leading into the 1400m soft track test.

He also has fresh-up form on the track and at the same distance, having pushed smart Sydney winner Magnetism to half a head when runner-up there last October.

The one-race winner followed that eye-catching debut with an on-pace Derby alert on a soft Ellerslie surface over 1600m a fortnight later.

Treymane, who has 11 horses in work at her Cambridge base, also saddles and rides maiden filly Inzone today in race three.

Inzone ran a huge race for second on debut on a soft Te Teko track last month, and although she meets a stronger field at Ruakaka, Treymane expects her to be hard to beat.

The Dean and Donna Logan trained Platitude in the eighth could be the best of the rest of Treymane's mounts today.

Her race-day form may not be inspiring but Treymane feels she could be a threat if she runs up to her trials efforts.

"I'm happy with the way things are going for me but I haven't really been chasing the rides 100 per cent so far," said Treymane, who has just one win since returning, on Summertime Chief at Te Teko on May 29.

"I've just been focusing on getting my weight down gradually. Ruakaka will be the first time I've had it down to 54.5kg and I won't be getting serious until I'm weighing around 52-53kg."