It’s a busy life at any time being a horse trainer.But it is especially so when you are running racing squads on both sides of the Tasman.
Nathan has been in Brisbane this preparing Treacherous Love and Major Hot for the Redcliffe Oaks and Derby respectively on Saturday night but when they run he will be back at Rolleston.
“I am staying over as long as I can to fit them up for this week but I aim to leave probably Thursday and be home for Saturday morning’s hopple. We have a bit more going on now and that is my priority”
Partner Mark is not far away from returning to Christchurch for a short time before his final move to Matamata following a three week break after the testing Auckland campaign. And with Olivia and James on the move there are a few less willing handles to handle the numbers.Thos numbers including Millwood Nike returning to full work next week.
Nathan was in two minds early in the week over Treacherous Love taking her place in the Oaks.
“I am just not sure how ready she is on her work and I will discuss it with the connections and monitor her next work. Nothing wrong I am just in two minds what effect a race this soon will have on her.But if she runs she will be ready”
Treacherous Love,to be driven by Luke McCarthy, has passed muster and has the advantage of an inside gate while the highest rated filly in the field Lux Aeterna,NSW Two Year Old filly of the year and winner of the rich Neutron Final at Melton in April, has drawn the outside.She did not show gate speed from 6 running second in the NSW Oaks though returning a superb performance in a race completely leader dominated. Lux Aeterna had won a heat of the NSW Oaks and ran second in the Final behind a superstar in Very Pretty who ran 53 for her last 800 winning by 12 lengths.
Major Hot however has a draw problem on paper with the inside of the second row but drawn behind a talented local with genuine gatespeed running 1.53.8 off the front in a recent outing.So he may end up with a kind run for Adam Sanderson and take it from there.
Nathan has been happy with Major Hot through the week and how she shapes up against some classy three year olds will be of interest. Ironically the horse to beat,drawn the second line,is Soho Spectre, like the Oaks runner-up Lux Aeterna from the Richie Alchin stableand who was at long odds winning the NSW Derby. He ran 1.50.1 in a trial at Menangle recently,