The Odyssey returns ahead of Magic Millions campaign

By Glenn Davis

A beefed up The Odyssey will make his long-awaited comeback at the Gold Coast on Saturday ahead of another Magic Millions campaign during the summer.

The Odyssey steps out for the first time since finishing sixth in the Listed Chief De Beers at Doomben in May when he tackles a slick field in the 900-metre dash in the Open Quality Handicap.

Trainer Kelly Schweida isn’t expecting any big things from the five-year-old first-up and will be pleased to see him run home strongly.

“He’s still a little chubby and whatever he does he’ll improve on,” Schweida said.

“He’s had two barrier trials but he hasn’t been missed with 60kgs by the handicapper.

“There’s speed galore in the race with The Move and Sugar Boom in it and we have to give away a lot of weight.

“I’m just hoping he runs a nice race and cleans out the cobwebs.”

The Odyssey didn’t inspire Schweida when he ran second in his first barrier trial over 840 metres at Doomben last month before winning easily over the same trip in his second trial at Doomben on Tuesday.

“He gets fat very quickly and his last spell was one of the longest he’s had in his career,” Schweida said.

“His first trial at Doomben was okay but he was never asked to do much but he took a lot of improvement from it and won very well in his second trial at Doomben this week.”

The Odyssey failed to fire in two TAB Queensland Winter Racing Carnival starts in the Group 2 Victory Stakes and the Chief De Beers in May, but Schweida offered excuses for both runs.

“He was at the end of his campaign in the winter after he came back from two tough runs in Sydney,” he said.

“He raced against the best horses in the land in Eduardo and Nature Strip down south and he drew bad both times.

“Eduardo won both races in the Challenge Stakes and The Galaxy and he broke the record when he ran a crazy time of 55.2 seconds for 1000 metres in the Challenge Stakes.”

Schweida plans to give The Odyssey a short campaign, before turning him out for a brief break ahead of his to defend his QTIS Magic Millions crown he claimed last January.

“I’m hoping to go fourth up into the Magic Millions race so he might only have one or two runs now before he goes out again for a short break before the summer races,” he said.

The Odyssey has been a great money spinner for Schweida and his wife Vera who is a part-owner.

A son of Better The Ready, The Odyssey cost only $30,000 as a yearling and has returned his owners more than $1.72 million in prizemoney with 10 wins and seven placings from 29 starts.