Gold Coast trainer Les Kelly to return after taking indefinite break last year

GOLD Coast trainer Les Kelly is making a comeback 17 months after giving the caper away.

Les Kelly will return to training in the coming weeks. Pictures: Jack Tran / The Courier Mail

GOLD Coast trainer Les Kelly is making a comeback 17 months after giving the caper away.

Kelly will set up base at Ascot Lodge in Bundall and will be backed by prominent Gold Coast owner Les Cowell.

“I have half-a-dozen horses to start with and I’m just training for anyone,” Kelly said.

“But Les (Cowell) is going to give me some horses and I trained for him before.”

Kelly has always had a solid strike rate and has prepared several top horses, including Group 1 placegetters Black Ink and Any Suggestion and stakes winners Beethog and Devil.

The 57-year-old, who prepared his first winner in 1976, was based on the Coast for “about 20 years” before he took an indefinite break from training in January last year.

“(I’ve spent my time) selecting horses for Singapore trainers and they have been paying me to go to the sales and select horses for them,” Kelly said.

“I didn’t miss training at first but then you get a bit itchy. I have a couple of horses of my own and I just inquired about renting a couple of boxes and it has gone from there.”

■ GLEN Colless had his suspension cut from 17 to 12 days on appeal for causing interference in the BTC Cup aboard Malaguerra.