Harness racing is a hard business at the best of times but when horses are removed from one stable and shifted to another, there is always a bit of ill feeling involved regardless of how well it is handled.
Last November the Robert Dunn stable went really close to winning another New Zealand Cup when Franco Nelson missed by the barest of margins from holding out Adore Me.
Another top run in the New Zealand FFA cemented Franco Nelson's arrival as a genuine grand circuit horse.
Unfortunately foot issues then played havoc with the star pacers season and as a result he has missed most of the big races since that great week in November.
Owners Clive, Sharon and Rona McKay recently made the decision to move the son of Christian Cullen to the Michael House barn.
" The main reason we moved Franco Nelson to Michael's is that there is a vet on the property full time to help with Franco Nelson's foot problems"
"We knew Robert would be upset by the decision but we have to do what we think is best for the horse."
"Robert and John have been very good to us which made the decision even harder," Rona McKay told Harnesslink this afternoon.
Robert Dunn was philosophical about losing the stable star.
" I was pretty upset at the time although I don't blame Clive or Rona."
" Franco Nelson does have a lot of ongoing issues but we thought we were getting on top of them.
" After all the work we put into the horse, it is disappointing to lose the horse like this," Robert said.
The open class ranks are a bit thin at the moment and Franco Nelson would be a welcome sight back on the racetrack.
Harnesslink Media