Blizzard (grey)
Trish Dunell
Surgery to remove a "massive" sinus cyst might be the catalyst to reigniting the career of capable Cambridge galloper Blizzard.
At least that's what trainers Emma-Lee and David Browne are hoping.
The couple got the post-surgery reassurance they were looking for when Blizzard led throughout in a 1200m open trial at Avondale earlier this month, scoring by 1.75 lengths to earn a start in Saturday's Pacific Coast Technical Institute 1400 at Tauranga.
"It was a really good trial. He did it quite easily and showed no ill effects afterwards," Emma-Lee Browne said.
Group Two performer Blizzard began his five-year-old campaign with a premier day dead-heat win with Authentic Paddy at Hastings last August, but the grey gelding's form tapered off leading up to his ninth placing in the Gr.3 Anniversary Stakes at Trentham in January.
"We couldn't figure out why he wasn't finishing his races off because his work in training was super," Browne said.
"We scoped him and couldn't find anything. A friend suggested we X-ray his head and that showed this massive cyst in there. It's made quite a big difference having it out. He can breathe again.
"We are just wanting to get his confidence back again now because he was running those races and trying hard each time but not being able to get the results."
Browne said Blizzard would probably be restricted to a two-start autumn campaign with a view to targeting the premier meetings at Hastings early next season.
"He seems to be getting a bit more zippy if anything. Normally as they get older they start getting more dour, but he's going the other way. It will be interesting to see how he goes over 1400m on Saturday. Hopefully he handles the heavy track." - NZ Racing Desk
At least that's what trainers Emma-Lee and David Browne are hoping.
The couple got the post-surgery reassurance they were looking for when Blizzard led throughout in a 1200m open trial at Avondale earlier this month, scoring by 1.75 lengths to earn a start in Saturday's Pacific Coast Technical Institute 1400 at Tauranga.
"It was a really good trial. He did it quite easily and showed no ill effects afterwards," Emma-Lee Browne said.
Group Two performer Blizzard began his five-year-old campaign with a premier day dead-heat win with Authentic Paddy at Hastings last August, but the grey gelding's form tapered off leading up to his ninth placing in the Gr.3 Anniversary Stakes at Trentham in January.
"We couldn't figure out why he wasn't finishing his races off because his work in training was super," Browne said.
"We scoped him and couldn't find anything. A friend suggested we X-ray his head and that showed this massive cyst in there. It's made quite a big difference having it out. He can breathe again.
"We are just wanting to get his confidence back again now because he was running those races and trying hard each time but not being able to get the results."
Browne said Blizzard would probably be restricted to a two-start autumn campaign with a view to targeting the premier meetings at Hastings early next season.
"He seems to be getting a bit more zippy if anything. Normally as they get older they start getting more dour, but he's going the other way. It will be interesting to see how he goes over 1400m on Saturday. Hopefully he handles the heavy track." - NZ Racing Desk