Paion overcomes the scars
HALL of Fame trainer Gary White has always had a good opinion of Paion and in Hobart recently the four-year-old delivered a win that could mark the start of a big season for the gelded son of Pierro.
Paion powered home to win a class two event over 1600 metres at Elwick on Melbourne Cup day to register his second win from six starts but he did so carrying the scars of a wound that could have put an end to his spring-summer campaign.
The gelding placed fourth at his previous start under lights in Launceston and, on the journey home to his Brighton stable he suffered an injury in the horse transport vehicle as it was about to enter the stabling complex.
“The truck had pulled up at the gates to the Brighton training complex when Paion broke free of the chain attached to his head collar and he decided to try and join his mates in another partition,” White said.
“He’s tried to crawl underneath the partition and, in doing so, he has caught his ear and ripped it open but luckily we were able to attend to it quickly.
“Our vet Mark Buckerfield put 14 stitches in the ear, so it was a fairly decent wound.
“The injury didn’t have the potential to interfere with the horse’s galloping action but you never know what these sort of injuries can do to a horse mentally. “But he has obviously taken it in his stride because it didn’t affect him in training or when he raced and won at Elwick.”
Paion, owned by David and Louise Adams, will have his next start at Elwick on Saturday in a class two event over 1600 metres.
The Adams’ are two of White’s most loyal stable clients and they have enjoyed a lot of success since they ventured into thoroughbred racing more than 20 years ago.
While Paion is potentially one of the best to reside at Scruples Lodge, White expects Heaven’s Delight to also make winning a more regular habit in the coming months.
Heaven’s Delight won the Tasmanian 2YO Magic Millions Classic defeating Derasa and, while she failed in the Tasmanian Oaks last season, White is adamant she is a potential open-class prospect.
Last Wednesday night in Launceston, Heaven’s Delight delivered an outstanding firstup effort to win a class one handicap over 1420 metres, defeating the highly promising Nova Vista from the Bill Ryan stable. “Heaven’s Delight had a few little issues she had to overcome but I’m confident they are well behind her and I think she proved that with her win in Launceston last Wednesday night.
“I would have been happy had she just run on and been competitive but to win and by sitting outside the leader firstup over 1400m was a very gutsy effort but typical of her because she has such a great will to win. We will take small steps with her this prep but I’m sure she could develop into a major cups horse.”
Heaven’s Delight is likely to have her next start in Launceston in either a benchmark 64 handicap over 1600 metres or a class two handicap over 1400 metres in Launceston on November 28.