It’s Hammer time!

Win, lose or draw, it’s good to have him back – that’s the call from Inter Dominion winning horseman Darren Hancock ahead of Drop The Hammer’s (Bettor’s Delight) harness racing return at Club Menangle on Saturday night (Aug. 6).

A triple Group Two winner, Drop The Hammer has been side lined since his inglorious performance at the world class venue last October.

Subsequent scans revealed the trotter was hampered by a bone spur in his off-side front knee which had to be surgically removed.

“He’d never had a lame day in his life, but just wasn’t right,” Hancock said. “I got him scanned and the vet found a spur in his knee which was ready to become a chip.

“We had him operated on and gave him plenty of time off to recover.”

A recent trial winner in solid time, Drop The Hammer has drawn barrier nine over 2300 metres.

The pacing-bred gelding slots into eight with the removal of the emergency.

With several in-form and race fit rivals to contend with, Drop The Hammer has been kept safe in betting at $12.

“I’m very happy with the way he has come up,” Hancock said. “It was only a minor issue that kept him away from the races and he’s taken no harm from it.

“Whether he wins first-up or not, it’s great to have a horse of his calibre back and feeling good.

“It goes without saying whatever he does on the weekend he will certainly improve on.

“It’ll take him a few starts to get back to his best, but I’ve got no doubt he will.”

Earmarking the Melbourne Inter Dominion as a possible long term goal with the seven-year-old, Hancock stated he is yet to make a firm decision on an interstate campaign.

“He’s certainly capable of being in the Inter Dominion, but whether we go remains to be seen,” Hancock said.

“At this stage I’m just glad to have him back and happy to be racing him at Menangle.”

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courtesy of National Trotguide