Katie Cox back at the trials as health battle continues

After being away from the race track for months, Katie Cox was back at Ashburton today, doing what she loves.

“It was just really nice to be back, people are so kind and friendly,” she said.

The Leeston-based harness racing trainer-driver is battling a rare form of lung cancer which has seen her move on or sell most of her horses.

But among those she has kept and continued to train is Spy Da Moment (Monarchy).

The 11-year-old Monarchy gelding has won six races for Cox and the pair were back in winning form again at the trials this afternoon, taking out the Special Handicap Trot from Franco Josiah by a neck.

“I am ok in the cart driving but physical work is a lot harder and can make me short of breath.”

Until relatively recently Cox had been responding well on a course of amivantamab.

“It was very good, I could have run for a few hundred metres.”

But toxicity issues and a consequent steroid treatment means she has had to change medication.

“It hasn’t been great the last three weeks and I have a scan soon so I’ll know more after that.”

Since being diagnosed last year the 33-year-old has been amazed by the level of support she’s received, with the racing community especially rallying around her and raising huge amounts of money to go towards her treatment. Key to that has been an appeal set up by Craig Wiggins, Cox’s friend and the founder of the Whatever with Wiggy Charitable Trust.

“It’s incredible. I can’t emphasise enough how grateful I am for everything, the texts, the calls. People have been wonderful.”

by Dave Di Somma, for Harness News Desk