Tommy was too much of a boy so he’s just Tom now - and it could be the making of him

A new look Make Way will line up at today’s Menangle trials, explaining his absence from the track for the last month.

Make Way will be “two stone lighter” trainer Sonya Smith having had to make the call to geld ‘Tommy’ after his last run on May 2.

While pleased with his effort to just miss third at Menangle, after starting from the outside of the arm, Smith and her partner top horseman Anthony Butt were not so enamoured with his behaviour.

It wasn’t so much that Make Way was getting too aggressive behind the gate, but the fact that his behaviour around the stable and in the paddock was becoming unacceptable.

“Ninety percent of the time he was perfect but he was becoming too much of a boy,” says Butt politely.

“He’d always been a bit loud with his squealing but he was getting a bit dangerous around other horses.

“Even when you put him in the paddock he’d be too interested in the horse next door and would kick the rail. He was going to hurt himself so we gelded him for his own safety.”

Butt says while gelding older horses can be a bit of a worry, the rising five-year-old came through his operation great.

“Sometimes it can knock them but he never missed a beat. He had a few days off and then we started jogging him again and he seems to be going as good as ever now. It could be the making of him.”

Make Way contests the second heat at Menangle today at 12.40pm NZ time where, as the second highest assessed pacer, he will start one from the outside over a mile.

“He’ll be ready to race next week but a week later there’s a 2300 metre race which would suit him more than a mile. So we might wait a week and trial again next week.”