Bits and Bridles

Steve and Amanda Telfer will be bringing strong numbers south for the Invercargill Cup meeting in eleven days.

Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup prospect Alta Meteor will head the team with Sonofamistery, Bettor’s Anvil, Always B Magic and JT Boe also pencilled in to head south.

Meanwhile Amanda reports Ohoka Connor (Sunshine Beach) is back in work after fracturing a cannon bone.

“All the vets are happy with him and he’s started jogging. We’ll see where he gets to. As long as everything goes okay he should be ready to race in February, March.”

Another open class pacer Tact McLeod (Sweet Lou) is progressing well in his latest ‘recovery’ preparation.

A tendon issue kept him out of this year’s New Zealand Cup but his Burnham trainer Mark Jones is happy with his progress.

“He seems great. His scans have been good and he’s back hoppling now, but he’ll go back on the water walker in another week or two. He’ll have a month on the water walker and have another wee break. Then we’ll start back on him again. He looks a million bucks. It’s a long road ahead but so far so good,” Jones says.

Jones says the chance of Tact McLeod racing again are still 50/50.

“We’ve had pretty good success with getting unsound horses back before that I was told would never race again. We’ve got a very good programme that’s been successful. I think there’s a chance. The only concern is that he’s such a big horse and he’s so fast. We’ll give him all the time he needs.”

Saveapatrol and Master Lavros are two horses Jones has successfully used the programme with in the past.

If Francent (Vincent) wins Friday nights $100,000 Group One Woodlands Stud Queen Of Hearts she may head south for the $100,000 Group One Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup.

Francent is currently at the top of the Leaderboard for the four year old mares category for the Harness 5000 but a win on Friday would make her ineligible for the Ashburton feature as the series excludes Group One winners.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink