The Tapanui trainer-breeder Matt Saunders will have a keen interest in races at Menangle and Waikouaiti at the weekend.

 

Saunders is the breeder of Salty Robyn, the big Australian-trained hope in the $200,000 Chariots of Fire at Menangle tonight (Saturday).

 

Saunders is at Waikouaiti the next day as the trainer of Marshal Star, a leading prospect in race 12.

 

Salty Robyn has thrown down the gauntlet to Lazarus in the  Chariots Of Fire by winning his last 10 races this season. All his wins have been at Menangle.

 

The Shane and Lauren Tritton-trained Salty Robyn has included group two and three races among his wins and taken a mile record on 1.49.2.

 

Salty Robyn has bounced back after a leg fracture and tendon injury had him on the sideline for eight months after he won six races from 11 starts at two and three.

 

Salty Robyn is the first horse bred by Saunders. He was gifted Holly Robyn, the dam of Salty Robyn by Graeme Edgar, of Tapanui. Saunders sold Salty Robyn (by Art Official) as a 2-year-old after the gelding won a workout at Ascot Park.

 

Saunders then had his horses based at West Plains (near Invercargill) with Archie Armour. Saunders, the former Highlanders and Stags player was Rugby Southland academy manager.

 

Saunders was licensed to train standardbreds in December, 2015 and not long after won with the pacer Just Ned at Winton. He has since won 17 races.

 

Marshal Star won on grass at Cromwell on January 7, the day after Saunders shifted from Invercargill to Tapanui to take over the Four Square store in a change of jobs.

 

Marshal Star finished fourth at Wyndham last Sunday in his subsequent start after trailing  the leader and  leading in the run home over 2400m.

 

“He went really well at Wyndham,’’ said Saunders.

 

The grass surface is in favour of Marshal Star. He won at Methven and Motukarara (twice) when trained by Nick Le Lievre.

 

The 6-year-old Badlands Hanover gelding transferred to Saunders early in December when bought by the Sue Ping syndicate, the Brakt syndicate and the High Hopes Racing syndicate.

 

Saunders is now training on grass at the Tapanui racecourse, which has not been used for a horse race meeting since 1997.

 

Thoroughbred trainers Nikki and Barrie Blatch are based there and the facility has been home for the West Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society since 1981. 

 

The Tapanui Racing Club held an annual meeting there until shifting to Gore.Two harness races were a regular part of programmes until 1964.

 

“I am still learning how to train on grass,’’ said Saunders, who also has the maiden pacer Pegasus Merrily in race 3 at Waikouaiti.