Whitney back on track
The eight-win trotter Whitney is set to resume her racing career at Gore on Saturday, but Waimumu trainer Billy Heads is not holding high hopes.
Gore is the venue for the meeting transferred from Forbury Park due to flood damage at that track.
“She [Whitney] has been in work since Christmas but she is still big in condition and I don’t feel she is as good as she was,” Heads said.
The 6-year-old Earl mare has not raced for 14 months after breaking a bone in a hind leg. Owned by Heads, his wife Janine and the Balfour syndicate, she won five races when trained by Heads.
Whitney won the Group III Northern Breeders’ Stakes at Alexandra Park for Geoff Dunn before she was sent to Victoria trainer, Dean Braun in February, 2013.
She won her first two starts, both at Maryborough for Braun and collected four minor placings in another seven starts.
“I will give her a couple of runs to see how she is. She is assessed at c7 and I don’t think she is up to the open class trotters. She should make a nice broodmare if she is not claimed,” Heads said.
Whitney has a claiming tag of $9000 at Gore.
Heads is consigning De Vito to Addington for a C0 trot from the mobile gate on Friday night He has Sundon Invasion in a C1 trot at Oamaru on Sunday, rather than racing the last start winner against more tightly assessed horses at Gore.
Waimate trainer Josh Kennett has settled on a race at Gore for Valmagne after perusing nominations for three meetings.
Valmagne is off 50m over 2700m and opposing Whitney. The 7-year-old hinted at a return to winning form when third to Majestic Time and Poppymalda at Oamaru on May 17.
“We were thinking about going to Auckland but the prospect of a rough ferry crossing put dad off,” Josh said.
His father Craig is a part-owner of Valmagne and would have accompanied the horse to Auckland. It is likely Valmagne will head to Auckland before the season is finished on July 31.
“He enjoyed it up there at Christmas time and the mobile starts will suit him,” Josh said.
Valmagne performed creditably for third placings to Stent and Prime Power in the Lyell Creek Stakes and a 1700m race at Cambridge. He has won races at at Addington (twice), Methven and Orari from 29 starts this season.
Och Aye The Noo, winner of her last two starts, both at Forbury Park, will be the horse to beat in the main trot at Gore.
Sarah Palin, the most raced standardbred in New Zealand this season with 38 starts, is back on her favourite course at Oamaru on Sunday.
The trotter
Sarah
Palin
has gained four of her six wins at Oamaru. Three of those have been on the grass track but she won on the all-weather track there in August.
The meeting on Sunday is on the all-weather track. Sarah Palin has also won twice on grass at Westport.
Trainers Greg and Nina Hope, who won eight races at the two day Nelson meeting at the weekend, have Motu Moonbeam nominated for Oamaru on Sunday.
Motu Moonbeam, who has not raced since December, won on grass there the same month.
The Hopes have won 61 races this season, six short of their best tally in 2012-13.
Leonardo, a winner at Forbury Park and Ascot Park in recent weeks, has joined the Bathhurst stable of Ashlee Siejka. David Heffernan, the Oamaru ownertrainer of Leonardo has sold a half share in the Major In ArtGenes West 4-year-old.
She [Whitney] is assessed at c7 and I don’t think she is up to the open class trotters. She should make a nice broodmare if she is not claimed.