‘Free-legger’ rewards trainer’s leap of faith

Charlton-based horseman Michael Gadsden still has a bit of a laugh when curious harness racing followers ask why he chose to try super-consistent pacing mare Markleigh Caz (Art Major) without hopples.

“When she arrived, I sort of took the easy way out and worked her up free-leg pacing,” Gadsden said.

“I only had two sets of hopples then anyway and I was using those on Markleigh Jill and Don’t Show Your Aces, but I really wasn’t sure that was the way I was going to go because ‘Caz’ had always raced in hopples before I got her,” he said.

Early on, the mare won two races for her new stable wearing hopples but her ability to perform without hopples and her natural free-legging action in the paddock niggled at Gadsden.

“I worked her up, worked her up without the hopples, but when it came to the crunch I would back down,” he laughed.

“We gave her a bit of a go for a while, but she galloped one start, so back on they went! Then after one run (in February 2022) when she just didn’t fire at all, I virtually told the stewards she’d probably be retired.”

But fortune favors the brave and later that year when Gadsden gave “Caz” a reprieve, the mare was raced without hopples – and duly posted five wins between August and December.

Gadsden said in five seasons, the rising 11-year-old had been a model of consistency for his stable, finishing top three 40 percent of the time.

Her most recent home track victory was her 17th career win, and along with 63 placings, now has $121,000 in stakes – the vast majority without hopples!

“She’s now won $92,000 for us with 13 wins (five of these in her past 25 starts) and 47 placings. She’s been a warrior that’s for sure,” he said.

“It’s been a bit tricky as she’d always raced in a tight hopple and when you let her out, she’d try to reach out and go to water. Even now she can be scratchy at the start until she gets balanced, but if you get up her early, she won’t finish off.”

Gadsden, who has built his team up to 16, has been enjoying a consistent season with 14 wins from 72 starters.

“I’ve still got the hopples belonging to Markleigh Caz. They’ve got her name on them and three or four have worn them, but none turned out any good. Maybe the hopples are the problem!”

Hoofnote: Five starts ago at Charlton on July 17, Markleigh Caz finished second to the David Van Ryn-trained Tooby Gold – also a free-legged pacer.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink