By Matt Markham
The best is still to come for exciting trotter, Tornado Valley.
That’s the opinion of the four-year-old gelding’s Ashburton trainer Terry McMillan who has said all along that the five-year-old season of the big trotter would be his best.
Unsighted at the races since finishing sixth behind Great Things Happen at Rangiora in April the son of Skyvalley from McMillan’s handy mare Begin resumes a new campaign tonight at Addington.
“We had hoped to have two runs under his belt before going to the races,” McMillan said.
“But Addington trials last week were called off so we went to Motukarara on Saturday for a workout and he ran second behind Arran Chief.
“He trotted beautifully and seems very well within himself.
“I like to take to my horses to the races pretty ready, but he will really come on with a run under his belt.”
A winner of four of his 22 race day starts, Tornado Valley was Jewels bound last month before a bad cough ran through McMillan’s stable sidelining his entire team.
“He ran fourth on Easter Cup night and I thought after that we would just race through May and then head up to Cambridge.
“But the cough arrived and we had to give him some time out.
“He’s come back looking fantastic though, he really is in great nick.”
A noted trainer for being patient with talented stock, McMillan has done exactly the same with Tornado Valley.
He looked good enough to tackle the classic races at three, but was put aside to grow into his big frame.
“Greg O’Connor asked me after he had won at Oamaru one day whether or not I was going to take on the good ones.
“I said he’d probably be good enough to compete with them based on his speed, but he’s not there mentally yet.
“I told Greg then that the best of the horse was still two years away and we are coming up to that point now.
“I’ve got a pretty high opinion of him and think that if he keeps getting better he will work his way through the grades.”
Tornado Valley will take on a strong field of intermediate grade trotters in his resumption tonight in a field that includes in form runners; Clover Mac, Amaretto Sun, Phil’s Gift and Kowhai Monarch as well as the untapped talents of Gee Up Neddy.
Despite the strong opposition and not having had a race, McMillan is still confident that if things go his way that he could be there at the finish.
“If he was to get a nice trip I wouldn’t be surprised if he was right there.
“He’s pretty fit, you just never know how fit until you get to the races. But he will definitely improve with the run under his belt.”
McMillan is working 7 horses from his Ashburton base and has a lot of time for a Sundon three-year-old by the name of Sea Rover.
He is the fourth foal out the four win mare Humiliate who was trained by Denis Nyhan.
The gelding is expected to make it to the races early in the Spring.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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