Chase The Rainbow is primed for a long-awaited return to racing after winning a Cranbourne barrier trial on Monday morning.

The Dash for Cash five year-old clocked the fastest hit-out of the morning, while sprinting over 1000 metres in 58.66s.  He scored by almost three lengths from Zuma Roc who won his penultimate start at Flemington in July.

Trainer Rick Hore-Lacy will give the grey a short summer prep before embarking on a Group 1 autumn campaign.  “He had a swollen suspensory, joint problems and hoof troubles,” Hore-Lacy told AAP.  “He appears perfectly sound now and if we can keep him that way he should have a pretty good innings.”

Chase The Rainbow (5h Dash For Cash – Illusional by Redoute’s Choice) has won 4 of his 7 starts during a stop-start career.  He won two in a row at Geelong as a spring three year-old and then graduated to a G2 victory in the Stutt Stakes at Moonee Valley.

After a year of setbacks, he returned for an outstanding first-up win over Spacecraft at Caulfield in September 2012 only to be sidelined for another long stint in limbo.

His ultimate aim is the $3 million Doncaster Hcp at Easter but, warns Hore-Lacy, that’s a fair way down the track.  “When we’ve got him right, he’s a very good horse.  He was last on the turn in the Stutt Stakes at the Valley and won easing up by over a length.”

Hore-Lacy was well acquainted with the pedigree when he bought Chase The Rainbow from Swettenham Stud for $90,000 at the 2010 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.  “He was an outstanding yearling,” Hore-Lacy recalled.  “He’s slightly bigger than Dash For Cash and their temperaments are alike.”

He trained Swettenham resident Dash For Cash to G1 victories in the Australian Guineas and Futurity Stakes.  And he prepared the damsire Redoute’s Choice to G1 triumphs in the 1999 Blue Diamond and Caulfield Guineas.

Chase The Rainbow will resume racing in a fortnight and his summer mission will be the LR Christmas Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Boxing Day or the G3 Standish Hcp (1200m) at Flemington on New Year’s Day.

Dash For Cash stands for a $7,700 (inc gst) service fee at Swettenham Stud.