By Michael Guerin
The entire Alexandra Park track has scanned by a mental detector to avoid a recurrence of what could have been a group one disaster there last Friday.
But Auckland Trotting Club officials are adamant a nail found driven into the hoof of exceptional juvenile pacing filly Princess Tiffany did not come from the construction sites alongside the track.
Princess Tiffany was found to have a nail lodged in the frog, the triangle shaped section on the bottom of a horse’s hoof, after her group one win in the Caducues Club Classic.
Co-trainer and driver Natalie Rasmussen believes the filly could have stepped on the nail in her preliminary when she felt her take a misstep, with adrenalin helping her through the race before she showed signs of soreness upon cooling down.
The nail drew blood and was removed when Princess Tiffany returned to the stabling area and she was then given antibiotic shots.
“She seems to have come through the whole thing well and wasn’t sore this morning,” said co-trainer Mark Purdon.
“So while it wasn’t a great thing to happen, we think she will be able to start this Friday.
“The main thing is she seems all right and Dominique Dowding (ATC chief executive) rang to talk over the whole situation with us, which we appreciated.”
Dowding says while the incident shocked the ATC they are confident the nail didn’t come from one of the two construction sites at Alexandra Park where two apartment buildings are being built.
“While we can’t be certain we think that is very doubtful,” says Dowding.
“The construction sites are 8-9 metres back from the track and they are at a stage where nails aren’t being used, mainly metal and bolts.
“The guys here who looked at the nail said it was very encrusted with track surface and we are thinking there is a chance it was in the surface material we put on the track last week.
“Either way, the safety of the horses and the drivers is paramount to us and the staff here have been right around the track with a metal detector three times today and found nothing else.”
Dowding says the float park area where the horses arrive and the stabling area will also be scanned.
“We can’t absolutely certain how it got there but we are confident now there is nothing else metal on the track.
“We will also have measures put in place when the construction sites move into a different phase which might involve nails. But as I said, they are a long way from the track.”
Princess Tiffany has a golden opportunity to remain unbeaten and claim another group one in the $150,000 Sires’ Stakes Final this Friday, drawing barrier three while her two stablemates and key rivals have drawn the second line over the 1700m.
Winterfell will also be short odds in the $100,000 Northern Trotting Derby after he drew the ace but the $100,000 Messenger looks more spicy with a host of the big names drawing the front line.
Last Friday’s Taylor Mile winner A G’s White Socks has barrier two in the 2700m group one, More The Better (three), Eamon Maguire (four) and Star Galleria (barrier seven).
Speeding Spur has been the big win in the draws for the $150,000 Rowe Cup, drawing handy on the front line over 3200m whereas defending champion Temporale (eight) and Enghien (seven) are drawn wide and last Friday’s Anzac Cup winner Lemond will start from the second line.
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