Major Sweetart back

Talent is permanent and there was no better example than at the Invercargill Harness Racing Club meeting at Ascot Park today (Jun. 15).

Major Sweetart (Art Major) who last raced more than two and a half years ago, demonstrated her ability when she easily won an R39-R46 race by three lengths for Wyndham trainer Craig Ferguson and driver Mark Hurrell.

“We were pretty confident today,” Hurrell said. “On Thursday her work was about as good as you can get. The only issue was knowing how long she had been out for.

“She was a wee bit rough out of the gate because she probably hadn’t gone that fast for a few years but did enough to hold up. She was too good in the end which was great.”

MAJOR SWEETART REPLAY

She looked good early in her career, winning one of her three starts, but Major Sweetart began to experience recurring leg problems.

“We sent her to Christchurch and got her x-rayed and they found seven fractures in her knees. She had some time out and we brought her back in about eighteen months ago and tried her again. Then the vets down here had a treatment that could be injected into the knees which lasts a year, so we did that. She’s been in work for about five months.”

The mare’s owners tried to get her in foal while she was out but without success. Hurrell said she went back into work in a ‘beefy’ state.

“She seems sound now and it’s been a long way back today. She was probably a lot fatter than we would have liked but her work has been good. Today looked like a good place to start off with. It was really good for Bathan (part owner Bathan Muir). He’s been so patient with her and it’s good to be part of that.”

Hurrell says Major Sweetart only sees the track twice a week for hopple work, spending most of the time in the Wyndham pool.

The six year old mare is the first foal out of the Mach Three mare Curragh’s Princess.

“She was a good horse but she had a wind problem. We’ve seen how good the family is with Street Art a full brother (won five of his seven starts) being a really good horse and I think this mare could have been better than him if she had stayed sound.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink