Roger Teal has reaffirmed his confidence in the decision to bring Oxted back to the race-track after a five-year absence. Teal confirmed at the start of the month that his former star will return after being put back into training.
The ten-year-old son of Mayson was set to return in the Abernant, but the Salisbury Cathedral Stakes will now be the target. Speaking to the Racing Post, Roger Teal said: “I didn’t run him at Newmarket because he had a little stone bruise a few weeks ago. So we had to get that right, and we missed a few pieces of work.
“He gets better on the gallops each week. He was weighing around 590 when not training, and now he’s down to 540. His boxing weight when he last raced was around 520 to 530 kilograms. So we’re getting there; it’s like Tyson Fury coming back. It’s exciting.”
The concluding leg of the Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder trilogy was the same year as when Oxted was last seen, finishing third to Starman in the July Cup. Prior to that, he delivered a knockout blow when winning the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot. That was his second Group 1 success, having won the July Cup a year before.
“He’s telling us when he is ready; I won’t push him” – Roger Teal
Roger Teal suggested that the plan was always to get him back after his tendon injury, as Oxted enjoys then nature of being a race-horse. “With most tendon injuries, you can retire them, but Oxted doesn’t enjoy being retired” Teal added. “He’s a sprinter. He’s got two gears, walking and flat out. He doesn’t like being a field pony.
Oxted has since been a hack for his wife at home. But despite some backlash, he is adamant the track is where he belongs. Teal said: “There are a lot of keyboard warriors out there; they’ve got their opinions about it, but they don’t know him. I know him and he’s been a part of the yard since the day he last raced.
“He’s showing all the enthusiasm as a ten-year-old as he did when he was a five-year-old. So why should I not let him do what he wants to do? He’s telling us when he is ready; I won’t push him.”
Oxted is more than likely going to come on for the run, with some lofty targets ahead. He holds an entry in the Minster Stakes at York, and Teal would be ‘tempted’ to go back to the July Cup.