An absence of 67 weeks wasn’t enough to stop 2009 G1 Blue Diamond winner Reward For Effort making a triumphant return to racing in the Listed Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

Reward For Effort (3c Exceed And Excel – Miss Prospect by Rory’s Jester) had been off the scene with a suspensory ligament injury and trainer Peter Moody said it had been heartbreaking watching other three-year-olds run around while his colt has been on the sidelines.

“It’s been a long ride and hard ride but the owners have been very patient,” Moody stated.  “He’s as good as any colt in the land and I think he would have won the Golden Slipper except for the heavy track.  He’s not going to be champion three-year-old but I think he’ll be a hell of a four-year-old.”

Reward For Effort was bred by Contract Racing and sold by Basinghall Farm to Dynamic Syndications for $190,000 at the 2008 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale.  His earnings increased to $824,500 after Saturday’s victory.

Darley shuttler Exceed And Excel has now sired 262 winners world-wide at a 60% strike-rate.  There are 23 stakes winners among that total.

Reward For Effort is from Randwick and Moonee Valley stakes winner Miss Prospect.  The Monash winner is a half-brother to 7 winners including iron-horse Consular (Royal Academy) who won 16 races to Listed level in Melbourne and Brisbane.