By Matt Markham
Mark Purdon will be without the services of one of his most powerful weapons on Cup Day, but a forgotten stable star on the way back from injury is looking more likely to be there as time progresses.
Stable co-trainer, and strike-rate driver, Natalie Rasmussen has been side lined for at least six weeks after it was revealed that she fractured her elbow in a nasty race smash at Methven on Sunday which also resulted in Samantha Ottley being airlifted to Christchurch Hospital.
Incredibly, Rasmussen walked unaided from the smash in which her horse, Emmanuel lost balance and slipped on the final bend.
She caught the majority of the fallout from the incident, being catapulted into the turf before being struck from behind and caught up in a melee of horses and sulkies.
Natural presumption led to everyone believing that she wouldn’t be driving for the remainder of the day but close to two hours later she reined home Messini in the day’s feature race, the Methven Cup.
Even after the win, Rasmussen was still showing signs of being a little tender, but to be able to achieve a 3000 metre victory on a grass track with a fractured elbow is testament to just how tough the former Australian horsewoman is.
It was discovered on Monday night however that Rasmussen hadn’t escaped injury in the incident and x-rays confirmed that she had fractured the bone and would be required to spend at least a month and a half away from the sulky.
It’s a massive blow for the All Stars stable as Rasmussen’s ability to produce the results in the sulky – especially on the big occasions is well known, although the choice of drivers on offer to pick up the vacant spots will undoubtedly come from a pool of horseman of a similar ilk.
Most importantly though is the drive on Cup hopeful Messini.
Stable driver Tim Williams would be the natural path to take but there has been some word out that Anthony Butt could also be in the running should Franco Nelson not take his place in the field.
Jimmy Curtin has been booked to drive reigning Three-Year-Old of the Year, Chase The Dream this week in a Sires’ Stakes heat – but whether that drive is firm booking for the final remains to be seen as Curtin has also driven Cash N Flow who is also a Sires’ Stakes contender.
Meanwhile Stevie Golding confirmed that his partner, Sam Ottley is resting up at home following the smash.
Ottley was airlifted to Christchurch following the incident and found to have fractured a vertebrae in her lower back. Like Rasmussen, she too is expected to spend at least six weeks on the side line.
The returning star from injury was in action at Rangiora workouts yesterday.
And Didjamakem Bolt made it look all too easy.
He bolted in when holding off the challenge of Have Faith In Me and Itz Bettor To Win.
Tim Williams, who drove Have Faith In Me, said he was happy with his charges efforts and also paid compliment to the horse Mark McNamara once described as ‘The Black Giraffe’.
“It would be pretty easy to forget just how good he is,” Williams said of Didjamakem Bolt.
“He’s come back super. I was happy with my guy though, he’s building up to it and a run at Ashburton on Monday will be the next step.”
Most pleasing for Williams was the manner in which Have Faith In Me stepped from the stand start although he did state that he felt like things could have gone either way.
Others to catch the eye at the workouts were Prince Fearless and Master Lavros, Habibti, Ice Crusher and Locharburn who was given a quiet time of it in his first public outing back from injury for trainer Kevin Chapman.
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