Group One winner Brisbane-bound

Addictive Habit is making good progress toward a return to racing with an Australian campaign his top priority.

The Group One winner hasn’t raced for 14 months, but he has responded well to treatment for the tendon injury that halted his career.

“We’ve given him a long, slow build-up and he’s been doing very well,” trainer Lee Somervell said.

“I couldn’t be happier with him, he’s thriving and loving his work.”

Addictive Habit furthered his preparation with an outing at last week’s Cambridge trials where he finished third in his open 935m heat.

“He enjoyed that and came through it very well,” Somervell said. “He’ll have another trial at Te Awamutu.”

Somervell said Addictive Habit was unlikely to race here before the gelding headed across the Tasman.

“There really isn’t anything suitable for him here,” he said. “We’re aiming for another Brisbane campaign so all going well we’ll head over there in the middle of May.

“We haven’t got anything in particular in mind for him yet, but he will get in whatever we decide on and there are a lot of choices.”

Addictive Habit is no stranger to the Queensland winter carnival with a four-start campaign there in 2015 netting a Listed win at the Gold Coast and another minor placing.

The son of Colombia returned home to win the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate before triumphing in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic during the Hawke’s Bay spring carnival.

He then headed south to Riccarton to successfully defend his Gr.2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile title under 59.5kg.