The connections of talented sprinter Baraqiel are optimistic he may return to the track before season’s end, following a surprisingly smooth recovery from a suspensory injury sustained last preparation.

After a strong win in the McEwen Stakes (1200m) in October, Baraqiel was among the favourites in the first edition of The Meteorite (1200m) at Cranbourne but faded late to run third. That race would reveal the setback he suffered mid-run.

“Going back to the replay, you can see halfway down the straight, he put in a bad stride,” trainer Will Larkin explained.

“He pulled up very sore after that run and sure enough, the scans confirmed he did a suspensory.”

Despite early concerns over his future, the Malua Racing team has been pleased with Baraqiel’s rehab. He returned to action with a quiet 800m jump out at Werribee on July 4, finishing fourth under a hold.

“He was just there for a soft one for his first one back off a long break, didn’t do a lot, but he’s still excellent,” Larkin said.

“He’s really good. He’s been kind of slow building since January so he’s been in work a long time.

“The way our program works, they come in and come out, into work and out of work. He’s coming along really well. He hasn’t had an unsound day this preparation touch wood so far.

“It’s all about building him up to another trial and then hopefully back to the races.”

Baraqiel showed good fitness in his return outing, surprising even his trainer with how well he pulled up.

“I reckon he was pretty fit. He didn’t have much of a blow, which surprised me,” Larkin said.

“We’ll probably give him one more and just see where he’s at.

“We’ve got a circle around the Bletchingly first up, but he’ll certainly have one more trial.”

The Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) will take place at Caulfield on July 26, closing out the 2024/25 racing season.