Hone Nni back after injury

Press, 9 August 1988, Page 35

Hone Nni back after injury

By DAVID MCCARTHY Hone Nui’s leg injury, which kept him out of contention for the Couplands Grand National Hurdles, is not as bad as first thought and he could resume in the Styx Hurdles at Riccarton on Saturday. Hone Nui suffered a tendon injury after his win in the Longbeach Hurdles at the Christchurch Hunt meeting, that being only his second hurdle start back from a long spell. The previous year he had won the Sydenham Hurdles on the first day of the Grand National carnival and finished seventh in the National. His most recent injury was first thought to have been a bowed tendon but the swelling went down

relatively quickly indicating the horse had only rapped his leg. Hone Nui worked over 1200 m on the grass at Riccarton yesterday, running his last 800 m in 52.3. He was accompanied by stablemate, Nearly Thyme. Their Invercargill trainer, Kelly Thompson, has also brought Joe Ninety and Rakahooka Looka north but they will not race on the trip. “There’s been a heap of rain down home and not much here so we can do a bit with them,” Thompson said. Mick Didham also has a sizeable “non racing” team with him including the stablemates Noble Pal and Bright Prelude which may race at Wingatui later in the month.