Roydon Glen may race later this year

Press, 20 February 1986, Page 38

Roydon Glen may race later this year

PA Wellington The racing future of the champion pacer, Roydon Glen, is looking a little brighter, according to his owner, Roy McKenzie. Roydon Glen suffered a serious leg injury after racing at the Auckland meeting and it was feared the horse might not race again. However McKenzie said: “It looks as though there is a reasonable prospect for him to be back to racing towards the end of the year.

“The chances of him racing again are quite a bit better than the first indications,” McKenzie said.

Roydon Glen aggravated a tendon in his near front seg during the Auckland meeting when he

was forced to step sideways quickly to avoid another horse.

“If this sort of injury had been caused by the normal wear and tear of racing then there would have been little hope of him racing again. However, as it was brought on by unexpected movement, it’s different,” he said. “He is responding to treatment but the main thing with an injury like this is it needs time,” McKenzie said. “We certainly won’t be rushing him. We will give him a long spell out. “The New Zealand Cup would be about the earliest race we would look at if he continues to progress. After that we will just take it week to week.” McKenzie said the

horse was walking well and did not feel anything, except when the pace was increased. There had been constant demand last season and this season from breeders seeking services to Roydon Glen when he goes to stud, his trainer, Fred Fletcher, said last week.

Roydon Glen, winner of the 1985 Auckland Cup and triumphant over the Australian idol, Preux Chevalier, at Addington Raceway last November, has won $464,444. He is the second biggest stake-winning pacer in New Zealand history behind Delightful Lady. His last-up second in the Auckland Cup was his fifty-fifth start He has won 22 of those, and been placed in 15.