Trainer Edward O’Rourke says he's quietly confident about Iron Man’s prospects of living up to his potential, now that the four-year-old’s airways are clear, as he prepares to resume at Canterbury on Wednesday.
Iron Man made a promising start to his spring with a Midway second placing but it became evident when he didn't live up to expectation second-up that there was a problem and he needed surgery to correct a breathing issue.
Edward O'Rourke said thankfully it wasn't serious enough to require a tie-back procedure and since he's returned to work the gelding has done nothing but please.
"It wasn't a major (surgery), his vocal cord on the right side was collapsing,'' he said.
"When he ran that last time at Rosehill he basically had 30 per cent breathing capacity and that will stop most horses.
"He seems to have come through it really well and his breathing doesn't seem to be affecting him.
"He's had plenty of time and he's in at the right time of year to show us what he's got."
The Hawkesbury trainer had a few options to kick off Iron Man's campaign over the past few days, he was scratched from the Midway at Rosehill and an engagement on his home track at Hawkesbury, as he looked for the best possible surface.
With barrier one and an improving track at Canterbury he's decided on the TAB Handicap (1250m) where Tyler Schiller rides from the inside barrier.
"After a long break I didn't want to kick him off on a heavy track,'' he said.
"Tyler has been trialling him, and I think we've pulled the right rein.
"It looks a nice race on paper, he's ready to go and his trials have been good, and Tyler seems pretty confident in the horse.
"I'll be leaving it up to Tyler where he puts him but you'd think from that barrier he wouldn't be far away in the run. He's got a 200m or 300m sprint on him so I think the track will suit him.
"In the winter he should be able to go through his grades.
"He's a rising five-year-old with only eight starts under his belt, and is only a benchmark 64, and on what he's showing us at the moment there's no reason he couldn't do that."
Iron Man was $5 with TAB on Tuesday.
Stablemate Ivana should finally get her chance to kick off in the Hitotsu At Arrowfield Handicap (1250m) after a couple of false starts to her career.
While O'Rourke said it's not ideal to have to start from a wide gate but given the youngster has been engaged twice in the past few weeks and not yet made it to the races she has to run.
"She's been a bit stiff. She went to Wagga (May 31) and didn't eat up that night, then she was going to run at Kembla and that was abandoned so we need to get a run under the belt,'' he said.
"She's had those quiet trials and had a jump out since to keep her ticking over. We'll probably go back from the wide alley and let her work home."
The trainer's third Canterbury runner Barellan Bandit may wait until the Midway on Saturday at Randwick but O'Rourke said he'd assess Wednesday's race further before making a call.
