Trainer Adam Trinder is confident promising three-year-old Nordic Thunder will start to live up to expectations when he resumes from a spell at Mowbray on Tuesday night.
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Connections had high hopes for the Magnus gelding after he scored first-up at Spreyton last September but he was unable to repeat the win at his next four starts.
I’m expecting him to be pretty competitive
- Trainer Adam Trinder
However Trinder said there were reasons for his lack of success.
“He’s had a lot of shin soreness problems,” the trainer explained.
“He’s a very heavy-bodied horse and just a little bit immature in the bones.
“I’ve never taken him to the races when he’s been completely without pain but he is now.
“He’s 100 per cent sound.”
Nordic Thunder contested the 3YO Vase and 3YO Cup last time in, finishing less than four lengths from the winner in both races.
”He ran really well but just kept coming up a little bit short,” Trinder said.
“I thought I’d give him one more run after that in a Class 1 to see if he could get the job done then win, lose or draw he’d go for a spell.
“He got beaten (finishing second to Schillie Billie) but we didn’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
“We still put him away and let him mature.
“Hopefully this preparation our hopes will come to fruition.”
Trinder believes the Governor’s Plate is a good starting point for Nordic Thunder’s new campaign.
“I thought I’d drop him back to a benchmark 58 to try to get a win and give him a bit of confidence and the ownership group a bit of enthusiasm,” the trainer said.
“I’m expecting him to be pretty competitive.”
Trinder has a good team entered for the big 10-race card including first-starter Caesar’s Quest in the Maiden Plate.
“He’s a nice little horse who has shown good talent,” the trainer said.
“He’s trialled well three times and is in a race where most of the others have had plenty of opportunities.
“I’m hoping that he might be a little bit more progressive.
”I’m not overly proud of running him against older horses in April – it’s usually June or July when I do that – but I had him in at Elwick last week and the track was too wet.”
ARMIDALE STUD sold a filly for $85,000 at Sunday’s Melbourne Vobis Gold Yearling Sale.
By group 1-winning stallion Toronado, the filly is out Flemington winner Take All Of Me who is also the dam of Adelaide stakes winner I’ll Have A Bit.
Take All Of Me is a daughter of former top class Victorian mare Tickle My.
Armidale also sold a Rubick – Miss Matera filly for $28,000.
Rubick, by Encosta De Lago, won the group 2 Schillaci Stakes as a three-year-old.
