Nairn on the comeback trail with Habibi Inta

Paul Nairn, the man they call ‘the master’, needs no introduction when it comes to his harness racing talent’s educating trotters.

It’s not uncommon for the Leeston locals to see him working a horse along the roadside and Nairn has an incredible strike rate and uncanny knack for getting a horse ready and race fit away from the public eye.

Yesterday was slightly different when he took a team of six to Ashburton for the Chertsey trials and workouts.

Trotting enthusiasts were treated with the re-emergence of the 2019 Dominion Handicap winner, Habibi Inta (Love You – Ten To One) who has been unsighted since finishing fourth in the Ordeal Cup almost two-years ago.

He is on the comeback trail after a spate of injuries in which Nairn says you could write a book about. He is hopeful the next chapter will be a more positive one.

“It’s great to have him back and so far, so good. He trotted well and was obviously well in need of a run having been away for so long. Fingers crossed he can hold everything together and we can see him back on the racetrack,” he said.

“He suffered a ligament strain not long after his last start in the Ordeal Cup which he had quite a long spell for. He was about ready to start doing a bit of fast work at Christmas time and he kicked over the fence and got a real nasty cut on his leg and it’s taken a bit of time to come right.”

“We’re just going to bring him along quietly but there is a chance he could be ready for a race around Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup time. The soft grass track might be a concern but that is when we are thinking he will be fit and ready.”

Nairn says there was some consideration given to standing the flashy chestnut entire at stud this season but with the horse coming up so well in his work, those plans have been put on hold for the time being.

“His owner Julie Maghzal was very keen to give him a chance to run in some of the classics later in the year and that is what we are concentrating on. When the time comes though I am sure he will be given his chance at stud. It’s such a strong family and the blood is proven at the highest level with stakes winners to starters,” he said.

Habibi Inta was joined by his enigmatic stablemate Matua Tana (Love You – Kahola) off the back mark of 40m in the rating 40 and faster trot yesterday. Both stepped away from the mark relatively well and had to chase hard with a solid tempo being set up front by Carter Dalgety and Trixton Time (Trixton – Run A Tab).

Matua Tana went round the field with 600m to go and won easily under a strong grip with Habibi Inta making up some very nice ground from the rear to finish three lengths behind him in second. The time was a very respectable 3:08.6 with sharp closing sectionals of 58.0 and 27.3.

MATUA TANA TRIAL REPLAY

“I was actually quite happy with Matua Tana yesterday,” said Nairn.

“He seemed to want to trot and seemed very happy with himself. He is more forward then Habibi Inta and while we probably wouldn’t want to line him up off the unruly in a race like the Ordeal Cup, he isn’t far away from making a return.”

Nairn also took three well-bred juvenile trotters to Ashburton, each having their first look at a track away from his Leeston barn.

“They are all nice types. Numbers wise it’s probably the most juveniles I’ve had in work for a while,” he said.

The John and Katrina Price owned The Ivy League (Father Patrick – Habibti Ivy) was an impressive winner of the two-year-old qualifier and Nairn is thrilled to bits to have a daughter of his former Group One winner in work.

“She’s very similar type to her mum and if she was a chestnut, they would just about be twins,” he said.

“We’ve got a main aim of targeting the new Group One for two-year-old fillies at the end of the year and from what she has shown me to date she wouldn’t be out of place in a race like that. She’s strong enough and got a very good gait.”

She came off the back of the only other starter, Tectonic (  – Day of Reckoning) and beat the colt a nose with Nairn quipping “I was looking for a dead heat but misjudged the winning post”.

“I trained his mother, and she was quite a good consistent mare who won about $100,000 and placed in a Jewels. He has a nice way of going and we’re hopeful he will be at the classic’s races at the end of the year along with another well-bred youngster, Confessional (Father Patrick – Habibti).

“He’s just a wee bit behind the others but he is a strong type so if he stays sound you would like to think he will be up with them too,” he said.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink