NZ HARNESS NEWS
Although Monbet won’t defend his top trotting titles at next month’s New Zealand Cup meeting, fellow top squaregaiter, Sheemon, is on target to bolster the ranks.
It was a case of so far so good for Christchurch trainer Kevin Townley with Sheemon after a second outing at the Rangiora workouts today.
Sheemon, a winner of 19 races and $545,564, will trial again next week and is set to resume in the $30,000 South Bay Trotters Cup on Monday week, October 31, a race he won in New Zealand record time three years ago.
The Monarchy gelding hasn’t raced since finishing 12th to Monbet in last November’s Group One Dominion Trot at Addington.
“He had the same operation as Monbet (removing a bone spur chip, which had broken off from a knee),” Townley said.
“It’s been very encouraging to this point; he’s the soundest he’s been in years,” he said.
“He’s nominated for the Dominion, but we need to race at Kaikoura to have any chance of making the Dominion. It (the Dominion) is a week later this year so that gives us an extra week.”
Sheemon, off 30m, settled fifth on a dawdling speed on Wednesday, so Townley let him roll from the 1000m, striding clear at the 800m.
He was five lengths clear at the 300m and wasn’t asked to go any quicker when promising three-year-old Sundees Son arrived late, beating him to the line by a head in 3:29.5 (2600m), the last 800m in 58.2s in cool conditions.
“It wasn’t quite the trial I wanted as they didn’t go anything early on, but he will have a stronger overall run next week. I might even put him with the pacers.”
Sheemon, now eight, was fresh for his first workout back last Friday.
“He jogged 3:26.2 (2600m) and it was hard to hold him over his last 800m in 58.6s,” said Townley.
“He could have gone 56s the way he felt but was more relaxed today.”
Sheemon, a multiple New Zealand colts and geldings record holder, still holds the 2YO colts and geldings record for the mobile 1950m, set at Addington in 2012.
He also holds the national mobile 2000m mark, and the stand start 2400m record, set when winning the 2014 South Bay Trotters Cup at Kaikoura and since equalled a year later by Gee Up Neddy at Ashburton.
Talented three-year-old Sundees Son, trained by Robert Dunn and driven by son John, pleased his driver by doing everything right in contrast to his workout last Friday, when he broke stride.
“He was a lot better today. He’s not hitting anywhere so it’s up to him really to get better mentally. We might just stick to stand starts for a while,” John said.
Forgotten Highway, second to Don Domingo at last Friday’s Rangiora workouts, won the fast class workout from a stand on Wednesday after pressing to the lead off 20m and setting a moderate clip.
The Mitchell Kerr-trained Forgotten Highway, who resumes at Ashburton on Monday, held race rival Alpha Rock (30m) by a length in a leisurely 3:31.5 (2600m), the pace only picking up over the last 800m in 58.6s and final 400m in 28.1s.
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