Maurice gets “motor cleaned up” and hands reins of Wave to 3000 club mate Tony Herlihy

3000 club member Maurice McKendry will be taking it easy for a couple of weeks after having a stenting operation at Middlemore Hospital.

“I’ve had the motor cleaned up a bit and I’m feeling really good,” said McKendry, 70, about to be discharged and return home.

McKendry, the second most successful driver in harness racing with 3439 wins, decided to get checked out after having a few “annoying chest pains which wouldn’t go away.

“They said I better go to hospital. I went in on Sunday and on Monday I was operated on.”

Doctors inserted two stents into McKendry’s coronary arteries, mesh sleeves designed to open blocked or narrrowed blood vessels.

“There’s no history of heart disease in the family but when I think back, since Christmas I’ve had the odd niggle, which I thought might be a muscle spasm.

“I’d also had tingling in my arms and chest before while mowing the lawn.”

McKendry, relieved that he had the symptoms investigated, will forego race driving for the next few weeks, giving up his seat behind the up-and-coming Lincoln Farms’ three-year-old Lincoln Wave ($4.80, $1.80) at Auckland on Friday night.

But, appropriately, it will be taken by the leading 3000 club member, Tony Herlihy, who has 3729 wins on his CV.

Co-trainer Ray Green and great educator of young horses Maurice McKendry.Co-trainer Ray Green praised McKendry for the way he’d been educating Lincoln Wave in his first two winning drives on the horse, but said he was sure Herlihy would be a fine substitute.

“Wave is still green, and has a bit to learn, but he’s a good driving colt and he’s versatile.”

McKendry has driven the horse to the lead from gates five and six in recent weeks and, while he’s drawn six again, Green says it won’t matter if he doesn’t make the front.

“He’ll be just as effective coming from off the pace and he’s a pretty classy horse, classier than most of those against him.”

Green said it was of no consequence that Lincoln Wave had clocked pedestrian 2200 metre times in his first two wins, 2:46 and 2:48.3, McKendry stealing a middle half in 66 last week.

By comparison, race favourite Dave Duley, was dead stiff in running sixth last week behind Johnny Lincoln who clocked 2:42.2.

“He had an easy run last week and he can go a lot faster than that. He should be hard to beat.”

Green said Lincoln Wave was heading for the $70,000 Alabar Classic on March 13 and the $200,000 Harness Millions a week later.

Sammy Lincoln (Harrison Orange) will be sitting out the next two weeks.Sammy Lincoln, who will contest the same features, will miss racing for the next two weeks, however, Green scratching the hot favourite from Friday’s third race.

Green said the puncture wound Sammy Lincoln suffered when hampered on the first turn on debut “was on the cusp of becoming infected” so he was taking no chances.

“The last thing we want is an infection in the joint capsule so we’ve had to medicate it. He’ll also have a bit of treatment for his knees and hocks next week.”

Green did not rule out the possibility of the injury having affected the horse when he galloped on the home turn last week when seemingly having the race at his mercy.

* A third member of the 3000 club, Ricky May, is still on the sidelines after suffering a medical event in November.

May, 67, blamed himself for collapsing while working on the family farm at Methven, saying he was dehydrated when his pacemaker was activated.

The device was implanted after May’s heart stopped and he fell out of the sulky during a race at Omakau in 2020.

May’s career tally stands at 3192.