3 minute read
By the end of June trainer Geoff Duryea will have both his potential Kosciuszko contenders back in full work and eyeing some unfinished business with the $1.3 million spring feature.
The Corowa trainer revealed Front Page, who was one of the favourites for last year's Kosciuszko before a float mishap on the day prior to the race, is in pre-training while his full sister News Girl will be back at his stable next week following a tendon injury.
Front Page hasn't been seen since he won a trial two weeks prior to The Kosciuszko and Geoff Duryea said while he was knocked around by the float incident it wasn't serious and he decided a conservative approach was best.
"He just cut himself in a few places and banged his head,'' he said.
"That had nothing to do with him going out, we gave him a break (after it happened) but he just wasn't handling the rock hard tracks, he was jarring up, so we said we weren't going to worry about him for a while.
"He's too valuable so we tipped him out and he's had a nice long spell."
The gelding, a winner of four of his seven starts, has been ticking over on the water walker and treadmill for the past couple of weeks and is due to return to the paddock shortly for another seven to 10 days.
Duryea said he's rapt with how Front Page is looking and suspects the extra time to mature will work in his favour when he returns to the track.
"Before the end of the month he will definitely be in full work,'' he said.
"When you look at him he's certainly developed and strengthened up. Hopefully it will all come through and he will improve on his record."
Front Page was due to race for the William Farrer Hotel syndicate in the 2020 The Kosciuszko, won by the Brett Cavanough-trained It's Me, before his race eve scratching and Duryea said it was disappointing he didn't get his chance.
While there is plenty of water to flow until Everest Day on October 16 he hopes a ticket holder will give him, and News Girl, a berth.
"No offence to the winner but I think we had a fair bit on them,'' he said.
"It's well in our mind, we're thinking there's some unfinished business. Hopefully everything will fall into place for him."
News Girl spent three weeks at the same pre-training property as Front Page and when Duryea dropped him off he collected her.
The five-year-old, Group 3 placed last autumn, suffered a tendon injury after running fifth at Caulfield back on May 30 last year.
"She's had three weeks in the paddock since then and starts full work next week,'' Duryea said.
She was being aimed at The Kosciuszko in 2020 and with scans showing the tendon is all clear if she progresses to the trainer's liking he'll pitch up for her to earn a start as well.
"It's a bit hard to plan at the moment, he didn't have any major injuries whereas she had a tendon operation so it's a bit hard to gauge,'' he said.
"If we don't have a two pronged attack hopefully one of them will get there."