Anthony Butt with Make Way, who will be scratched from Melton on Saturday night.
Poor Make Way: now he’s got a sore throat - but Ants says he’ll bounce back quickly
By Barry Lichter • 1 October 2020
Make Way will not start at Melton on Saturday night after going off colour in Melbourne.
Trainer Sonya Smith and partner Anthony Butt were happy with the way the horse travelled from Sydney but after a couple of days of being off his feed they called a vet this morning to check him out.
“He’s got an inflamed throat and some gunk down there,” Butt said. “It’s not like him not to eat and it’s obviously hurting him to swallow.
“He could go round on Saturday night but you’d risk flattening him. It’s a shame as his work before we left home was really good.”
Smith and Butt have made Melton their base for the next few weeks, staying with a dozen horses at Sandy Kilgour’s property, originally set up by former top Kiwi horseman Bob Cameron and leading owner Kypros Kotzikas.
“He’s been here before so he settled in well but then we get this hiccup.”
Butt had been hoping Make May’s troubles were behind him after first a lingering foot abscess then a bad cold kept him sidelined for the last three months.
“He’ll come right pretty quickly but I’m not sure if there’s a race for him next week with the Victoria Cup and Vicbred two-year-old finals on. Hopefully we’ll find a nice race for him in the next fortnight.”
More news in Harness
Friday night’s main event: In the blue corner, Tyson, in the red corner, Sugar Ray
After 40 years in the sulky, Fergie’s just loving his renaissance in the lincoln green silks
Big-spending Mike Tanev snares The Rascal and he’s off to Canada next week
Dreams Of Eric goes from black and blue to blue and white, now for Harness 5000
Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
6.59pm
“He was tough again in winning last week. He’s trained on well, is in good shape, and should be right in it.”
Race 4: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.59pm
“He’s finally getting his act together - he’s gone three good races in a row - and seemingly turned the corner. We’ve had a lot of (vet) work done on him, his feet in particular, and it’s paid off. There’s not much between him and Tyson.”
Race 5: Rivergirl Bella
7.23pm
“She’ll need everything to go her way from the draw. But she’s got a bit of speed. She’s getting there. She wasn’t very strong before and wasn’t tracking too well, but she’s driving right now.”
Race 5: Lincoln Linda
7.23pm
“She’s had a few issues, mostly mental ones, and is still a bit of a handful. It wasn’t very pretty last week but we’re slowly getting her under control. The outside draw might actually help her.”
Race 5: Angelic Copy
7.23pm
“She needs only a half decent trip to feature. She got held up a little bit in the straight at a crucial time last week and that was that.”
Race 6: Prince Lincoln
7.49pm
“He’s drawn the best of ours in three. He got cheated for a run last week. It’s hard to know where he’d have finished without that.”
Race 6: Lincoln Lover
7.49pm
“Ferg reckoned if he’d been able to hold up in the trail last week he would have won. He was very bullish about how he’d gone. The draw’s no help but he can do a bit of work. He’s an honest little guy who saves his best for when the money’s up on racenight.”
Race 6: Johnny Lincoln
7.49pm
“He got a bit keen last week but he should be a lot better this time. He’s still learning and he’s a slow learner. When he does things correctly he’s a pretty nice horse. Hopefully he can get a suck into it from the second row draw.”
