By MIKE DILLON
Adam Trinder badly needs shoulder reconstruction, but it wasn't obvious when the Tasmanian rode the first two jumping winners at Ellerslie yesterday.
Neither was the fact he'd had few decent feeds in the last two weeks.
The 20-year-old is an emerging talent in the jumping ranks and has put aside having shoulder surgery until he is 25.
"They've told me if I crash and damage the shoulder once they stabilise it, that will be it, I won't ride again. So I've put off having it done."
A fall in the 1998 Grand Annual Steeples followed a few weeks later by another in the Australian Steeples sees Trinder's shoulder dislocate very easily.
He could easily have dislocated it trying to ease tearaway winner Trout Secrets in the closing stages of the Morgan Furniture Steeplechase.
Trout Secrets is two-from-two in steeplechases and few jumping races have been won easier than his yesterday. It was a huge effort, even allowing for the lack of really talented opposition.
Earlier Trinder won the Lion Red Hurdles on another Browne runner, Golden Miller.
His luck was not quite the same in the Mercedes Great Northern Steeplechase, finishing ninth on All Rhythm.
The other visiting rider, Irishman Finbar Leahy had a great thrill on third-placed Fair Brother in the Mercedes, landing over the last fence almost level in front with eventual winner Royal Ways.
"I gave myself a hope, but he was very tired in the run from the last."
Our Jonty gave the crowd a thrill when he closed quite quickly on Royal Ways in the final 125m, but rider Raymond Connors said at no point of the closing stages was he confident.
It was a fabulous effort by Our Jonty who prefers much better footing than he struck yesterday.
"He feels as good now as when he won it two years ago."
Racing: Dicky shoulder no barrier to success
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