Caellum left home as a maiden performer and following a successful Australian venture he has returned a Group One prospect.
He placed in his first three starts for part-owner and trainer Nick Bishara, who then sent him to expatriate Kiwi identity Brian Smith, with whom he has enjoyed a long and successful association.
The seven-year-old was a first-up winner at Tauranga and on Saturday he downed a handy line-up in the Listed Avondale Sunday Markets Counties Bowl.
“You can never underestimate the good old New Zealand grass and the home environment,” Bishara said.“Brian did a great job with him and he came back a very sound horse. He’s just flying and it’s on to the Railway now.
“He’ll have a couple of days in the paddock and he’ll come back and probably run in the Newmarket.”Caellum showed no effects of his successful Tauranga outing seven days previously when he repeated the magic at Avondale.
“He’s still on the way up and I don’t usually back them up that quickly, but he’s just thriving,” Bishara said. “He’s a complete machine.”Settled one off the fence in midfield by rider Trudy Thornton, Caellum finished too well in the straight for the pacemaker Statham with Riding Shotgun making good ground from the back for third. Whosyourmaster also came on late to take fourth money off his stablemate Fascination Street.
