Racing: Delft taken off Wallis

Delft profited from Wallis' beach training. Picture / Gary Wild

Michelle Wallis fought back the tears last night as she confirmed the worst phone call of her career in harness racing.

Wallis revealed to the Herald last night she had been replaced as Interdominion trotting champion Delft's trainer just months after guiding him to win the A$200,000 ($245,000) final in Melbourne.

The giant trotter leaves Wallis' Waiuku property this morning and is expected to join Canterbury trainer Warren Stapleton.

Wallis was still in shock at the decision, as will be many who have followed her incredible rise to prominence with Delft.

"I am devastated," said Wallis. "I love him and he is the best horse I have ever had. I can't believe it."

Wallis is the fairy godmother of the Delft fairytale which started when he returned from a failed North American campaign two years ago.

He had been purchased by big-spending US owner Joe Muscara and was sent to the States but failed to settle in and show anything like his true potential.

Upon returning home he was sent to Wallis because of her beach training expertise and he soon established a reputation to match his 17-hand, 590kg physique.

He raced through the grades from class two to open class and even started favourite in last season's Interdominion Final at Alexandra Park.

He failed in that, ran second in the Rowe Cup and then came back this season rated the best trotter in New Zealand.

But Wallis still had her battles.

He suffered a potentially career-threatening injury on his southern campaign and Wallis spent countless hours nursing him back to soundness.

It was worth the wait.

Once back to his best Delft produced the trotting performance of the season when he thrashed Pompallier and Allegro Agitato in the National Trot at Alexandra Park, setting a 2700m mobile record and winning by five lengths.

He then went on to dominate the Interdominions in Victoria, winning both his heats before overcoming a 10m handicap to down Australian star A Touch Of Flair in the final on February 12.

The enormity of Wallis' training performance was summed up by the fact the mammoth trotter almost hobbled off the track, showing just how much she had kept him patched up for the biggest race of his life.

His last race in Wallis' colours was just two weeks ago when he faded after leading as favourite in the Rowe Cup.

Wallis was hoping to keep Delft in work and perhaps race him lightly over the winter before she received the shattering news.

The announcement is certain to be greeted with much disgust by the tight-knit northern harness racing community, most of whom rejoiced in seeing the one-time battling trainer rise through the ranks so dramatically in the last two years thanks to Delft, Paris Metro and her support role for travelling trainers Tim Butt and Mark Purdon.