Veteran trotter returns

Having had six months off, Aveross Majesty (Majestic Son) returns to the racetrack tomorrow for the Forbury Park meeting on the grass at Wingatui.

“He had a light tear in the suspensory ligament. I thought he was finished but Peter Gillespie my vet said we could get him back to the races,” Waikouaiti trainer Denis O’Connell said.

Getting him right has been a long process.

“I started off boxing him, from there walking him for five minutes and increasing that by five minutes each week. I then started jogging him quietly and now into full work. I didn’t put him in the cart. All his work now is on the lead with Joany Baby in the cart doing all the work.”

The nine year old starts off 10 metres in the Haras de Trotteurs Forbury Park Trotting Cup over 2200 metres. He has an impressive grass track record with nine of his fourteen wins on that surface.

“He seems to enjoy the grass and it’s a lot better on his body. When I first got him, Bruce Negus said the only thing that would save him would be the beach. He loves the beach and loves the grass.”

In preparation for his return, O’Connell has taken Aveross Majesty to two trials at Oamaru.

“He has improved with the workouts but he won’t be race fit. There’s a big difference between workouts and races.”

O’Connell also has three year old filly Joany Princess (Speeding Spur) resuming.

She too has been off the scene for a while, last racing at Invercargill in July.

“She had a bad experience on the beach during Majesty’s rehab. She took fright with a dog and flipped the cart. She’s now scared of seaweed and thinks it’s a tiger coming out to attack her. She is slowly getting more confidence.”

Prior to her break, Joany Baby’s form was consistent, with a third and three fourths  among her seven race day starts.

“She was battling away well in her races and the spell has probably been good for her.”

She’s had two trials prior to tomorrow’s race.

“The last trial she had she got a fright with the starting tape. Hopefully she’ll improve with that (experience) and go away. Once she’s underway she’s fairly foolproof.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink