Racing: Rest restores winning ways to HK reject

Matamata trainer Gary Hennessy makes a living selling horses to Hong Kong, but gets his kicks by bringing them back.

With Hong Kong contacts forged through his former headline act Makarpura Star - the only Kiwi in the Hall of Fame there - Hennessy has become known as the Kiwi saviour for the city's rejects.

Some he finds showjumping homes for; others that he takes a shine to, like easy Te Awamutu winner Industrial Pride, he keeps to race.

Often, finds Hennessy, all they need is fresh air in a wide-open paddock and a few months to rest road-weary joints.

The 7-year-old Industrial Pride hadn't won since scoring in a group three 2-year-old event on a rain-affected course in Ireland.

The Piccolo gelding chalked up nearly $400,000 racing in five countries, and held a Timeform rating of 107.

But he struggled to move to the next level on the flint-hard Hong Kong tracks.

Hennessy, however, felt there was still a win or two left in the horse.

Armed with tapes of his overseas efforts he quickly pooled a syndicate of 20 to race him and a handful of other Hong Kong rejects, including Glory Hero, a big win hope at Paeroa on Wednesday.

"It's a win-win situation for everybody and definitely a satisfying one for me," said Hennessy.

"It proves that there is life after the track for these horses and the syndicate I've put together is having a lot of fun."

Hennessy is confident that Glory Hero can up the excitement level even more at Paeroa.

A winner of $457,000 in Hong Kong, the 7-year-old looks ideally placed against an average-looking intermediate grade line-up.

He injured himself slightly fresh-up at Hastings this month, but looked close to his best when beaten next-up by a head at Tauranga on July 20.

Hennessy has booked Lisa Cropp, who spoiled the party at Tauranga that day aboard Good Shot, for the ride.

"She's told me she'll make it up to me and go one better for us on Wednesday," said Hennessy.

Cropp took her season tally to 189 wins with two victories at Washdyke yesterday.

She now has four meetings left - Paeroa, Wanganui, Te Rapa and Oamaru - to get the five winners needed to beat Lance O'Sullivan's record of 193.