Race Images Palmerston North
The heavy track conditions and wet weather forecast for Te Aroha’s Sunday meeting are both a blessing and a curse for Hastings trainer Paul Nelson.
He currently has four runners entered, but is likely to scratch Ruff Nipper gelding Ooee.
“Ooee probably won’t be there by the look of it,” he said. “It’s looking like the track is going to be very heavy.
“I ran him in this hurdle race last year and he pulled up, he doesn’t handle a really heavy track. He’s got better this year, but if it’s a heavy 11 and the weather forecast doesn’t improve I doubt he will start.”
However, a horse in his stable that will welcome the wet and heavy conditions is Peso, who will be ridden by Georgia Crowe in the Geoff Brindley Memorial 1600 Amateur Riders.
“His run at Rotorua was really good the other day. He’s coming back from 1950m to 1600m so it will probably help him if it is really wet.”
Nelson will also line-up Kings Deep in the Bayleys Waikato Hunt Cup Steeplechase (4250m) and Revolution in the Make-A-Wish NZ 2200.
Nelson is expecting Kings Deep to improve from his races at Wanganui and Rotorua last week, where he placed third and fourth respectively.
“Those two runs were alright, he hadn’t run in a while and we had a bit of trouble with him,” Nelson said. “His blood hadn’t been good, but we have got that back right now. He probably needed the runs.”
Revolution will line-up on Sunday coming on the back of a disappointing sixth-placing at Awapuni after stringing together a win and a few minor placings this campaign.
“His last run was pretty disappointing, but he was ridden upside down,” Nelson said. “I am hoping he’ll handle the track alright.”
Meanwhile, he was pleased with No Change’s close third behind Highlad at Hastings last Saturday and said the Shinko King gelding will be returning for the last day of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival.
“We were very pleased with him, it probably would have helped if it was the 2200m, which he will run in at Hastings next week.
“Last winter he was not right and we couldn’t get him right at all, but he came in a different horse this year and he’s gone really well.” – NZ Racing Desk.