The pressure is on to find genuine open class pacers for Cup Week and the lead up to the November feature. So it's good news to hear that one of the real up and comers from last season Captain Dolmio is close to racing.
Former trainer Matt Brinsdon jogged the horse up for six weeks before he was sent north to John Dunn at Woodlands Beach.
“He’s been there near a month. There are no signs of any niggles at this stage,” he said.
Last season the Grinfromeartoear gelding won three races including the Summer and Tuapeka Cups.
In his last two starts of the season he ran third behind Lazarus and Heaven Rocks in the Superstars Championship. Lazarus’s winning time was 2-16.7 for the 1950 metres a mile rate of 1-52.8.
He finished his season off by running second to Heaven Rocks in the Easter Cup which was won in 3-58.7.
He then came back for the new season and won a workout and trial in August last year but unfortunately suffered a leg injury and his preparation towards the New Zealand Cup had to be scrapped.
“His injury was a lot like bone concussion and shin splints on his hind leg, if you can imagine the top of your bone having a whole lot of pin cracks in it. Once we found the problem we injected the bottom and the top with pain killers. He was as sound as a bell. Never though we could have raced him, he could have ended up shattering the leg so we had to give him four months. But we ended up giving him the best part of eight months. He’s done very well during his time out. He’s strengthened and developed.”
Brinsdon thinks Captain Dolmio may be at the workouts in a few weeks and says the aim at this stage is to have him back at the races in the middle of next month.
“John is happy. He’s jumping around so that’s a positive start.”
The rising seven year old is raced by the enthusiastic and well travelled Captain Dolmio Syndicate.
“She’s been a quiet old time for the syndicate.”
The Dolmio Grin at Addington
The Syndicate has bred from Captain Dolmio’s dam Kates Rock. They have an Art Major colt which is a weanling and the mare is in foal to Always B Miki.
Brinsdon hasn’t started jogging his new seasons team which includes an Art Major mare, a Mach Three brother to Phantom Grin ‘that broke in pretty nice’ and an A Rocknroll Dance two year old out of the Pacific Rocket mare Shezza Duchess.
“He just needs a bit of time. He’s a big gangly horse so he might be a late three year old or four year old. He paces along nice and wants to run. He had a few issues with steering when I got him back in the cart. He wasn’t playing the game but he’s come right.”
Bruce Stewart
Southland Harness Racing