Racing: Cauthen faces battle

Andrew Campbell. Photo / APN

Cauthen's connections will face a nervous wait to see if the star colt can make the field for the J & N Berkett Telegraph Hcp.

The 3-year-old holds an 85 rating and trainer Andrew Campbell's hopes of improving on that mark before the January 18 feature at Trentham have now been dashed.

"He's going well and he galloped between races at Palmerston North the other day so we put him in the open 1200 at Woodville (tomorrow) and they've scrapped the race," he said.

"He'll gallop between races again at Woodville, but there is some concern at not making the field. We'll just have to sit on him and wait."

The good news is that Cauthen will have a run in New Zealand, whether he makes the Telegraph field or not, before he heads back to Australia.

"There's a race on the last day (January 25) at Wellington for him, an open 3-year-old over 1200," Campbell said.

"It all depends how he goes in his first start, but hopefully we'll put him back on a plane and get over to Melbourne and races like the Orr and Futurity Stakes against the older horses. If he didn't go there then there's the Sydney carnival."

Cauthen was a debut winner at Te Rapa in the winter and subsequently won the McKenzie Stakes at Moonee Valley. He was then found to be suffering from shin soreness after an unplaced run at Flemington in the spring.

Meanwhile, stablemate Longchamp has done well since he won at the first time of asking at Otaki and has also benefitted from a recent exhibition gallop.

"He's a nice horse and he's working well - he'll go straight to the Karaka Million," Campbell said.

The son of Tavistock holds down sixth spot in the order of entry to the feature at Ellerslie on January 26.

- NZ Racing Desk