NZ HARNESS NEWS
Lamborne Road is getting ready for his second major comeback.
The six-year-old son of Washington VC is rated by his Invercargill trainer Wayne Adams as one of the nicer horses he has prepared.
Adams trains him for locals Joe and Raeleen Thompson, daughter Niki and her husband, Stephen Keast.
After winning two from five in his first campaign, Lamborne Road raced poorly in his second and was sent for a spell on the Keast property at Myross Bush.
He had a lung infection and got quite sick – a diagnosis was hard to get – but Niki Keast, a trained nurse, persevered.
She found e-coli and pseudomonas were to blame and treated him for six weeks before turning him out.
Despite going 10 months without a race, Lamborne Road resumed with a win at Central Southland Raceway a year ago.
Seven top-four finishes followed in his next seven starts, including two more wins before he ventured north to Addington for the first time, in March.
“He went a really good race for third and we didn’t know anything was wrong,” said Adams said.
“But he was sore afterwards.”
The promising bay stayed north and a boney problem was found in a hock, which was operated on at the Canterbury Equine Centre.
“He’s been back jogging six to seven weeks and has had no problems,” said Adams.
He hopes the talent will be in the right shape for a workout by the end of January.
Lamborne Road was driven in his latest three wins by Shane Walkinshaw, who has also been sidelined – the result of a fall from Jennys Rose in a race at Ascot Park a month ago.
Walkinshaw said this week he was healing well from fractures to the back of his skull, eye socket, cheek bone and sinus area and hasn’t been troubled by headaches.
“I’ve still got a bit of sore shoulder though,” he added.
Although neither Lamborne Road nor Walkinshaw will be back on deck for Christmas racing, Adams is looking forward to other members of his team shining.
Among them is Lamborne Road’s half-sister Bella Sara, who has been well-supported in her two starts to date and shouldn’t be a non-winner for long.
“She’s got plenty of potential,” said Adams.
Sportzstar’s good form this season culminated with a win at Invercargill earlier this month and it won’t be his last.
“He’s taken time to mature and is still improving.”
In her third start for the season, Argyle Beach was third to Sportzstar having been a winner first up this term.
Adams considers both her and Navajo Art worth following in the upcoming period, although he won’t commit yet to the three-meeting Central Otago circuit.
“It can get too hot,” he said.
NZ Harness News
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