NZ HARNESS NEWS
This week’s trotting free-for-all at Addington was supposed to mark a return to form for both Great Things Happen and Harriet Of Mot.
Great Things Happen is good to go again, although Harriet Of Mot has been put on ice for another week or two as a precaution.
Craig and Aimee Edmonds were rapt with her trial at Rangiora last week when she gunned down Great Things Happen.
But, she was found to be running a bit of a temperature earlier this week.
“We left her in the field when we saw how light the noms were but she was still a bit off a day or two later so in the end we decided it was better to make sure she was 100 percent,” said Craig.
“So, if she doesn’t race next week she’ll probably just trial again ahead of the Summer Cup (on February 15).”
Conversely, Gavin Smith was not happy with Great Things Happen last week, when he was on trial for a trip to the Great Southern Star, but he is this week.
“I tried shoeing him a bit differently but he trotted a bit rough in his trial so I went back to the way he was and what we know works,” said Smith.
“Through all that I decided it was better to stay closer to home for the moment as I could see it was going to be a very good field at Melton.
“There’s another race for him next week at Addington (an R70 front and discretionary handicap) with a 30m backmark and we might look at that before the Summer Cup.”
Smith will be driving at Addington this week after appealing his suspension for five race meetings in Canterbury in the first race on the first day of the Nelson meeting a fortnight ago.
Smith had a prolonged crack for the lead down the back straight with the Paul Scott-trained Khal Drogo before dropping out to last and was suspended for ‘diminishing his chances of winning’.
“I thought five days was a bit harsh, but we’ll find out next week if I’m right or they are.”
If he’s not then Smith will offer the drive on Great Things Happen to Bob Butt next week.
“Bob’s been doing most of the work with Great Things Happen at the beach for the past month so he deserves the drive.
“If Paul (Nairn) has one in that Bob needs to drive, I don’t think there’ll be any shortage of drivers putting their hand up.”
Great Things Happen has not raced since the Dominion Handicap two months ago, when he was one of the favourites and proved a dismal failure for the second year running.
That was due to an incredible piece of bad luck, with Great Things Happen picking up a virus in the last couple of days leading up to the event.
Harriet Of Mot has again been out of sorts with seasonal issues over the summer after winning her first two starts for the season in the spring.
On the second occasion she downed Marcoola and Great Things Happen in the Canterbury Park Trotting Cup.
“It doesn’t take much to throw her off but Tim (driver Williams) said she felt terrific in her trial last week, so, hopefully that’s all behind her again.
“She normally comes right again at this time of the year.”
Harriet Of Mot won the FFA at the corresponding meeting last year and then won the handicap off 30m a week later.
So both Great Things Happen and Harriet Of Mot will be staying close to home until Easter racing and if their form is good then they’ll both press on to Auckland for the Rowe Cup.
Harriet Of Mot is now being raced principally raced by her breeder Ivan McNicholl after he made an offer to the goHarness Trotting For Fun Syndicate to terminate her racing lease.
McNicholl has also sent her promising half-brother Muscles Galore to NSW to race out of Blake Fitzpatrick’s stable and he’s pretty much good to go as well after winning a trial at Menangle during the week.
-NZ Harness News
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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