After eight frustrating months on the sidelines, regally bred speedster Anita Sonic Love resumed his stop-start career on a winning note at Healesville on Tuesday, much to owner/trainer Andrew Paraskevas’ delight.
With his patience rewarded, Paraskevas now hopes the son of El Grand Senor and 2017 G1 Sapphire Crown heroine Maja Mahi Mahi can make it two wins in less than a week on Sunday afternoon when he returns to Healesville for the Super Sprint Restricted Win (1-4 Wins) final (300m).
Anita Sonic Love, named after a song by US band Colorfinger, will turn three next month but frustratingly for Paraskevas he’s been restricted to only 11 starts, netting five wins and five minor placings.
“He’s just had a heap of injury problems,” explained Paraskevas, who’s based at Pearcedale.
“They’ve been stopper tendon injuries. He’s done it two times on two legs. If you look at his form he’s had three-month gaps all the way through and then he was operated on just after Christmas.
“It’s been a long, drawn out process, so I was rapt just to see him back racing again.”
After winning at Healesville on December 20, Anita Sonic Love was out of action until Tuesday morning, when he started $1.30 favourite and continued his perfect record up the straight, scoring by four lengths in a slick 16.55sec.
It was his fourth straight win in a streak that started way back on October 25, 2020.
“He’s been hard work but hopefully if we manage him right, we’ll be able to get a few starts out of him this time around,” Paraskevas said.