Marcoola bypasses Methven for Akld

CHRISTCHURCH: Fans of Dominion Handicap winner Marcoola will have to wait a little longer to see him back on the track. But not too long.

The emphatic winner of one of New Zealand’s greatest trotting events was listed in the nominations for Sunday’s Trotters’ Green Mile at Methven, but regular driver Clint Ford said he was almost certain to miss the sprinting event.

‘‘I think we’ll bypass it and focus on Auckland instead,’’ Ford said.

‘‘He’s gone so well this time around with having his races well spaced out and when something is working like that, you are always really hesitant to change it.’’

That means instead of packing the horse up and heading inland for just on an hour on Sunday, Ford will probably spend the day packing to hit the road for Auckland, probably at some stage next week.

Almost two weeks after his brilliant victory in the Domin ion Handicap, Ford said the horse had come through the run very well and there was still a real buzz around the stable of his father, Ken Ford.

‘‘I don’t think I’ve quite come down from it all yet — it might be a while before it happens, too. The video has taken a bit of a bashing, that’s for sure.

Ford confirmed that at this stage, the intention was to race Marcoola on only two occasions — in the group 2 $50,000 Lyell Creek Stakes on December 14 and then in the group 1 $100,000 National Trot on New Year’s Eve, missing the Trotters’ Flying Mile at Cambridge on Christmas Eve.

Marcoola is likely to be accompanied north by stablemate and former Dominion Handicap winner Amaretto Sun, who at this stage remains in the nominations for Sunday’s grass track feature at Methven.

He was a brave third in horrible conditions at Orari on Saturday. — NZ Harness News