Trainer believes El Kara has cup potential

Press, 5 December 1989, Page 48

Trainer believes El Kara has cup potential

PA Wellington The Awapimi ownertrainer, ’ Peter Sears, believes El Kara has the stamina to be a cup horse.

The seven-year-old gelding has already beaten a 60 per cent chance against racing again when he broke a carpal bone in his near-foreleg as a four-year-old.

He spent six months boxed, waiting for the bone to mend after three unsuccessful attempts by veterinary surgeons to pin the leg. “In the end they said just wait and let nature heal it... they gave him a 40 per cent chance of racing again,” Sears said. “Since then he’s had 26 starts and no problems

with it.” El Kara showed his potential to win a big staying race when he finished fourth behind Exocet in the New Zealand Cup last month and he followed up that effort with a two length win over Delve in the 2200 metre Downer Handicap at Trentham last Saturday. Sears, who trains horses

as a hobby, now plans to run El Kara in the $20,000 A.M.P. Society Cup Trial (2200 m and the $120,000 Lion Brown Manawatu Cup (2300 m at Awapuni on December 16 and 26 respectively, before tack- * ling the $400,000 Foster’s Wellington Cup (3200 m at Trentham on January 27. El Kara could be the

horse to convince Saturday’s successful jockey, Jackie Jamieson, to move to the North Island permanently. Jamieson, aged 20, finished her apprenticeship with Garth Jackson at Riccarton in September and has been considering whether to move north and try her luck riding out of Awapuni.