Chambord Progresses Well

The NZ Racing Desk reports:

(Te Akau trainers) Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards are hoping the New Year will usher in a trouble-free preparation for Chambord.

It's been a case of so far so good for the Matamata duo with the Group-performed son of Zabeel, who recently trialled well at Te Teko ahead of his return to racing.

“He's been off for a long time and we've been working closely with the vets during his rehabilitation and we're pretty happy with the way he's coming along,” Richards said.

“He's always been a classy horse and he was on track for the Coupland's Mile a year or so ago when he went amiss in his final gallop.”

Chambord, who suffered a fractured cannon bone, hasn't raced since he ran second behind Atacama in the Listed Matamata Cup in October, 2014.

He has won two of his 12 starts and also finished runner-up as a three-year-old behind the now-retired Atlante in the Gr. 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.

“He's come back bigger and stronger and trialled well,” Richards said. “We'll keep going along slowly with him. He is a bit of a day-to-day horse, but hopefully he will hold together.”

A race at the Hawke's Bay meeting on New Year's Day has been pencilled in as Chambord's likely starting point.

“There's an open 1300-metre event at Hastings for him and hopefully we can then look at something for him during the Auckland Cup carnival,” Richards said.

Although he has a staying pedigree - he is out of a winning Montjeu mare - Chambord has proved to be most effective up to 1600 metres.

Note - he was bought by David Ellis from the Karaka Premier Sale.

Picture credit - www.raceimages.co.nz