Star pacer Jaydens Castle is likely to return to racing at Wagga next week bringing an end to a lengthy preparation to have the five-year-old back to racing.
Jaydens Castle was mixing it with the best pacers of his age before he went amiss after finishing second in the Vicbred Final in May of last year.
Astute trainer David Eurell has spent months preparing Jaydens Castle for his return to the track and admits it will take time to have the five-year-old race fit.
“He has had a couple of trials, but he needs a couple of race runs to get him match fit,” Eurell said.
“He is coming along well, but he needs racing to bring him to his peak after such a long time off.”
Jaydens Castle was nominated for Wagga’s twilight meeting on Saturday, but was too highly qualified for the conditions of the race to take part.
“I will put him in at Wagga again and hopefully he can go around to see where he is exactly up to,” Eurell said.
Jaydens Castle has won eight of his past 11 starts including a semi-final of the Vicbred before injury forced him out of racing for the past 14 months.
It may have taken several months and a few drives to finally crack it for a win, but Allison Short is making the most of her winning run with Glad You Are Here.
Short has been in charge for Glad You Are Here’s past two wins and she will be trying to make it three straight at Wagga this week.
Glad You Are ran just behind the placegetters in a tougher race at Wagga’s Breeders Challenge meeting on Saturday with trainer Gary Lang in charge.
“I wasn’t allowed to drive her because it was a $20,000 race, but I will be back driving her next time,” Short said.
Lang also posted an overdue win with Lombo Electron last Thursday providing the stable with three victories in a week.
“He has been racing well from bad draws on the second line so when he drew one and was able to lead I knew he would be hard to run down,” Lang said.
Former premiership winning trainer Rod Woodhouse will take the proudest walk of his life when his only daughter Alison is married on Saturday.
“It’s not every day you get to walk your daughter down the aisle so I’m looking forward to it, as is the entire family,” Woodhouse said.
Alison will marry one of Australia’s top drivers Chris Alford.
The wedding will be held in Lancefield, Victoria, with many prominent members of the harness racing industry to attend.
Alford, who drove his 4000th career winner this season, has two children with Alison who grew up in Wagga assisting her father at Yirribee Pacing Stud.
Trainer Norm Jerrick may be forced to send dual Wagga winner Arterial Way out for a spell after another all the way victory last week.
Arterial Way has lived up to her potential with easy wins at Wagga and Jerrick was hoping to race her again on Saturday.
“The race hasn’t stood up so she may go out for a break,” he said.
“I didn’t have her in the Breeders Crown series and after she hurt her leg she needed a long spell before she started racing at all.
Jerrick has had a memorable season with his two-year-olds with Modern Slippa proving himself top class in Group One company.
“She (Arterial Way) isn’t as good as him, but she goes well and will keep improving,” he said.
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Veteran pacer Sand Sweeper continues to make up for lost time posting his fifth win at Wagga despite an interrupted racing career.
Sand Sweeper only started racing at Wagga in July last year, but since then has finished in the top three placings in 11 of his 13 starts.
The rising eight-year-old recorded an all the way win at Wagga last week after an impressive fast timed victory the previous week.
“He had some leg problems before he came to me, but he worked into fitness fairly quickly and won a few races before he went a little sore again,” trainer Ray White said.
“I didn’t want to take any risks with his leg so he had a decent break again and has come back better than ever.
“He is starting to get up in class fairly quick so he may have to race outside the region at some stage if the races don’t stand up for him.”
Wagga reinsman Shane Hallcroft has taken a commanding lead in the local drivers premiership after some recent wins including those by Sand sweeper.He also won with Hamilton Gypsy and Will Prosper last week.
Meanwhile, the horse of the year awards at Wagga will go down to the last month of the season.
With four meetings remaining, Rescue Package (26 points) leads Dancing Diamond (25) and Ariah Prince (22).
In the local horse of the year title, Rescue Package (26) shows out from Hamilton Gypsy (18) and Sand Sweeper (15).
Hamilton Gypsy’s six wins have all been at Wagga this season.
