NZ HARNESS NEWS
It’s been a roller-coaster ride for Brent Mangos with his star pacer Maxim in the past few weeks.
After a brilliant win at Alexandra Park nearly three weeks’ ago, he then put in an exceptional run for fourth in the $800,000 New Zealand Cup at Addington last Tuesday.
But after the race there were fears the injury-plagued pacer, who missed the best part of three years with leg injuries from early 2014 to early 2017, had broken down once again.
“Originally, we thought it might have been a tendon as he was pretty sore after the Cup,” Mangos.
“But it turns out he was just jarred up and I think he will be fine for the Auckland Cup at the end of next month.
“We probably won’t go to the Summer Cup (December 8) with him as he’ll be swum for the next week or two as he recovers.
“But he’s coming right and I definitely think he’ll be good to go in a week or two.”
Mangos says the Addington surface was perhaps “a little bit hard on the day”.
Still, the run was exceptional and the horse was unlucky not to run in the first three at bolter’s odds.
“If he got a gap at the top of the straight I think he was a sure thing for third, if not second.
“He went really good and I was thrilled.”
It’s back to reality this week and Mangos heads to his usual haunt, Alexandra Park, tomorrow night with his other stable star, Culpeka.
The Perth-owned three-year-old was very good as a juvenile last season, running placings in strong fields in the north before an excellent second behind Spankem in the Group 1 Sires Stakes Series Final at Addington.
Mangos tipped him out after the Harness Jewels and opted to miss the spring Sires Stakes Series in preference of Derby riches in 2018.
He’s had two trials to fit him for this week’s resumption and the stable is pleased with his progress.
“He’s trialed up quite good.
“I wasn’t there last week as I was in Christchurch, but Kyle Marshall took him in and he finished close-up behind Motown and Northview Hustler.
“He’s as fit as I can get him without having a race but I think he will still improve a bit with the run.”
The $50,000 Alabar Classic on December 15 is the first target for the son of Mach Three, then the $200,000 Yearling Sales Series Open on New Year’s Eve.
“As long he races up to expectation, he will tackle those good races and then when we will we assess where we are after that.”
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