By Tayler Strong
The smart 3-year-old James Dean is set to resume racing at Oamaru on Sunday.
“He had a small bone chip removed from a fetlock after he raced at Kaikoura in October. We got on to it straight away.
“He has been back in work three and a half months and has had a good preparation,’’ said Leo O’Reilly, his Rakaia trainer.
James Dean won a trial at Rangiora on June 7 by a neck from Joey Maguire, a rival on Sunday. Joey Maguire, who has not raced since February, is now trained by Mark Jones. Joey Maguire won seven races from the Robert Dunn stable.
James Dean cleared maiden ranks at Oamaru as a 2-year-old in May, 2016 at his fourth start. The Santanna Blue Chip colt did not race again until October when he won at Methven before finishing second to Ardent Lustre at Kaikoura.
Nerve Of Steel, an acceptor at at Forbury Park on Thursday, is now trained by Donna Williamson at Washdyke.
Nerve Of Steel has won at Gore and Invercargill in the past three months after being bought by Tapanui trainer Matt Saunders out of the Palmerston North stable of Stephen Doody. The 4yr-old has had another change of ownership with former jockey Stephanie Clark among the new owners of the Art Official 4-year-old.
Nerve Of Steel left stride after 100m in the first heat of the Forbury Park sprint series on June 1 and finished last. Stewards placed a warning on his barrier manners.
“I have only had him since last Tuesday,’’ said Williamson.
Bontz, winner of the first heat of the sprint (1200m) series, was ruled out of the second heat after it attracted 19 nominations. Bontz is assured of a berth in the $10,000 final by dint of her win.
Errol Finn, a winner at Invercargill on Saturday in his first start since changing ownership and joining the Roslyn Bush stable of Aaron Swain three weeks earlier, has been nominated for the Oamaru meeting. Errol
Finn, now raced on lease by Swain, his mother, Wendy, uncles Ross and Grant Cronin and grandmother, Pat Cronin, The Changeover 5-year-old won his first two starts last season when trained by Daniel Reardon.
Dark Ops is now being trained at Washdyke by breeder Alan Clark, who has bought the 4yr-old CR Commando – Constar mare. She won two races when trained by Brent White for Ross McCutcheon, of Temuka.
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