Unraced two year old Karloo Threeothree has already suffered a serious injury but has fought his way back and harness racing trainer Barry Lew is hoping the son of Mach Three shows just as much fight when he debuts on Sunday at Peak Hill. The youngster broke a bone in his leg after getting caught under a post in his yard and needed the best part of nine months to recover.
"I had him at home and he was going very nicely but I found him caught up in his yard and the vets found that he had broken a bone in his leg near his stifle joint," Lew said.
"He's going well enough to go to the races but he still needs to learn a bit more and Sunday's experience should do him the world of good. I even thought about making a comeback to the sulky to drive him because my regular driver Mat Rue is driving one for Bernie (Hewitt) but I had second thoughts and the first person I rang (Amanda Turnbull) said she'd drive him for sure."
While Lew is missing race driving and he would love to experience the thrill again he is concerned about the damage he could do if he was involved in a fall.
I'm 63 now and if I got thrown out and got busted up then it might mean I would have to give away the training and while I'm getting a bit long in the tooth, I'm not ready to give away training the horses just yet.
"I've still got a few in work including Courage To Rule and I'm hoping to get him back to the races. I had him nominated for Peak Hill but he didn't get a run so hopefully he will get a start at Bathurst. I've got an American Ideal youngster and a Somebeachsomewhere out of Karloo Ronnie that I'm breaking in as well so I'm keeping myself pretty busy."
Karloo Threeothree was purchased from the Sydney APG sales and was bred by New Zealand race caller Mark McNamara and close friend Aaron Goadsby. Lew had always wanted a horse by Mach Three but when it came to naming him he found the job difficult.
"It is a funny story because he was my first Mach Three but I already had a horse called Karloo Mac. He wasn't by Mach Three but named after a Mack Truck. This bloke was the third yearling I was working with that season so I called him Three and thought about calling him Karloo Three but it just didn't sound right.
"So Ronnie was looking through his papers and said his brand ended in 303 so I thought that had a good ring to it, so he became known as Karloo Threeothree. The funny thing is the number 303 on his papers had nothing to do with his brand but that's his name now anyway!"
Lew is confident that in time Karloo Threeothree will develop into a nice horse.
"With some experience and then some time to develop I think he could develop into a really serious horse, I really like him."
Lew still gets great pleasure watching his pride and joy Karloo Mick playing in his paddock.
"He is in a paddock that is alongside my track and when I'm working a couple he still likes to race me down the fenceline. His paddock ends so he has to wheel around and sure enough by the time I get around to his paddock again he is ready to race me.
"He is rising 16 but still looks a million dollars and I reckon he would still love to be in work."
Greg Hayes