Byron Cozamanis will monitor the blood depend of his best sprinter Grand Duels just before confirming a commence for him in the Listed $ a hundred,000 Xmas Stakes at Caulfield on Boxing Day.

The Marechal gelding disappointed the Caulfield trainer when he could end only a about three-length eighth to Canali in the 65 Roses Victoria Cup (1100m) on his home track on December three.

“I took the blinkers off him to stop him from more than-racing but he wouldn’t even go early then,” Cozamanis said.

However since then the 8-12 months-aged was located to have a large white blood cell count.

“At this stage he’s alright as the white cell depend had dropped a truthful little bit and he’ll be working following Monday,” Cozamanis stated.

“But we’ve got to have a couple a lot more bloods completed on him this week just to make sure.

“He is a horse who has usually been on the borderline. It always goes up too rapid like he is received a virus in his lung.

“But he seems vivid ample at the second.”

Grand Duels, who has won ten of his 45 commences with yet another nine placings and $ 788,one hundred ten in prizemoney, struck a purple patch of sort this time previous year winning the 65 Roses Victoria Cup, Christmas Stakes and the Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.

He then ran a 5-one/two duration fourth to Black Caviar in the Group A single Lightning Stakes at Flemington but was spelled right after striking interference at the start and finishing final to the champion mare in the Group A single Newmarket Handicap.

Earlier in his occupation, Grand Duels had operate third in the 2008 Newmarket and third in the 2009 Lightning.

Ridden by Steven Arnold in last year’s Xmas Stakes, Grand Duels, sent out at $ 19, jumped from barrier fifteen but received up to conquer Skip Octopussy and Gold In Dubai.

Cozamanis, who usually has about fifteen horses in work, has primarily younger horses in his stables at the minute but had a adjust of luck when he won the Red Tempo Handicap (1000m) at Flemington very last Saturday with The Soldier.

The 8-year-old, who hails from Alice Springs where he has been well prepared for most of his vocation by Ken Rogerson, will subsequent run underneath lighting at Moonee Valley on New Year’s Eve.

Entries for the Xmas Stakes meeting close on Tuesday.