NZ HARNESS NEWS
Glamour mare Dream About Me will not be heading north to defend her Queen of Hearts and Auckland Cup titles in December.
Co-trainer Natalie Rasmussen confirmed this afternoon that the daughter of Bettor’s Delight is feeling the effects of another minor hoof problem.
It is not the first time such an issue has disrupted her racing programme – she was shut down early last season when afflicted by a similar problem in Sydney in March.
“She is just having a bit of trouble with an infection that has blown out of her back foot,” said Rasmussen.
“It’s meant she has lost enough ground that we won’t push her towards racing and we’ve pulled the pin on her Auckland campaign.
“We would rather keep her home and get her bang on for the features in Sydney in February.”
The problem, Rasmussen says, are slightly rotated pedal bones that cause ongoing issues.
It ends a frustrating month for Dream About Me’s connections, who saw her knocked out of contention at the start of the New Zealand Cup by a misbehaving runner and then draw badly in the New Zealand Free For All three days later.
“I feel a bit sorry for Paul and Mary Kenny (owners).
“They’ve experience the highest highs but with racings comes the lows as well.”
With Piccadilly Princess in Perth, the All Stars stable will have just Partyon to contest the $100,000 Group 1 Queen of Hearts in just over a fortnight’s time.
Last season’s Northern Oaks winner had her second trial back on a new campaign at Ashburton on Tuesday and the camp was happy after she finished a close-up second to stablemate Vincent.
“She’s come back really nice and I am quite happy with her,” said Rasmussen.
A cluster of three-year-olds will make the long trip north to Auckland for feature racing, among them Elle Mac, Spankem, All U Need Is Faith, The Devils Own, Bare Knuckle, Delight In Me, Ashley Locaz and Chase Auckland.
At this stage the stable expects to have just one juvenile in Auckland next month, and it will be for the second Young Guns Series heat, on New Year’s Eve.
“There will be just the one initially – Jesse Duke (2c Bettor’s Delight).
“He just had his first real step away from home yesterday (Tuesday).
“He will qualify next and then look to head north.
“Another group of two-year-olds have just arrived from pre-training at Steven Boyd’s and four or five of them look quite nice.
“We will assess them over the next four weeks and wee which ones head up there for the February heats.”
At this stage the stable will have Vincent, Heaven Rocks and Titan Banner, who has just rejoined the team again from Graeme Anderson’s, for the $250,000 Group 1 Auckland Cup on New Year’s Eve.
They have also nominated those currently in Perth – Lazarus, Ultimate Machete and Have Faith In Me – on the off chance they arrive back in good time and in fine fettle from their current assignments.
- NZ Harness News
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