Hooray! Tommy’s back and making good progress for new trainers in Victoria

It’s been 17 months since Make Way’s enthusiastic New Zealand owners yelled their pride and joy Tommy home a winner.

But after his annus horribilus of 2020 things are finally looking up as the once Mr Consistency of pacing gets through the early work of a fresh preparation.

With former trainers Anthony Butt and Sonya Smith now preparing Emilio Rosati’s team full time, the reins have passed to Butt’s young protege Zac Phillips and his fiancee Tayla Nicholson - and Butt, working from the same property, says they’re doing a great job.

Zac Phillips and his fiancee Tayla Nicholson who are now training Make Way.“He’s been back in work here for six weeks and he’s coming up really well. He’s looking really good and hopefully after a nice break he’s over everything.”

‘Everything’ included a bad foot abscess, an inflamed throat from a virus, an ulcer on his epiglottis and, finally, a fractured sesamoid bone in his hind leg.

Make Way led in his last race at Melton in December, 2020 but as he weakened soon after turning for home he copped interference and hooked wheels with another horse inside him, which knocked him sideways.

He sustained a hairline fracture which, luckily, did not traverse the sesamoid bone and was not displaced.

Vets decided not to operate on the injury and prescribed two months box rest and another two months in the paddock.

“It’s healed really well,” says Butt. “He had a month on the water walker and has been back here for six weeks and has got through a fair bit of hobbled work.”

Two years ago Make Way was campaigning in Queensland where he won the Redcliffe Derby. PHOTO: Michael McInally.Butt is sure Phillips will give Make Way every chance to regain his best form which saw him rack up win after win in New South Wales, pace 1:51.7, and boost his career stats to 14 wins and 14 placings and A$150,000 in stakes.

“Zac worked for us for a while and he’s one of the best up-and-coming drivers around.”

In April, Phillips drove the former Lincoln Farms’ star Perfect Stride to win the Warragul Pacing Cup then run second to Butt on Boots Electric in the South Australian Pacing Cup.

Make Way’s owners, who have enjoyed a sabbatical from paying any fees for the horse since his injury, will welcome his return.

During his golden run of form, he was a regular little EFTPOS card for Amy Myocevich, the Excell Syndicate, Bob Best, Duncan, John and Dave Chisholm, Warwick Orr, John and Lynne Street and Ian Middleton.