Racing: Early compensation a relief for trainer after death of mare

Trainer Marty Larter experienced a high and a low at the Nelson Trotting Club meeting yesterday.

Larter won the $13,000 Nelson Summer Cup with Living Blue Boy, three races after his trotter Princess Spanner collapsed and died during a race.

"She was racing keenly near the 600m and just went down. It was most likely a heart attack," Larter said.

The 6-year-old mare was the winner of two races for Larter, his mother Kathleen and a group of owners. Living Blue Boy, who was having his 100th start, has won five races for Elva Barker, of Christchurch. She bought the gelding as a 4-year-old after hehad gained three minor placings in nine starts for breeder George Hill,of Brightwater, near Nelson.

"It was just like a homecoming for the horse today," Larter said.

Mrs Barker won a race with Tantilly Franco from the Larter stable at Forbury Park in September.

The Holmes Hanover mare has been retired and served by Badlands Hanover.

Larter won the Nelson Summer Cup with Samba Queen in 2002. He is viewing a start for Living Blue Boy in the Marlborough Cup next Sunday.

"He is just a professional racehorse. He begins so good and puts himself in the race. He was aided by a top drive from Dexter Dunn," Larter said.

Don King, winner of the A$50,000 V.L. Dullard Cup for trotters at Melton, Melbourne, on Friday night is part-owned by Kaiapoi horseman Brent Lilley, who bred the horse by Sundon from Ashley Blossom with his brother Shane.

Brent qualified Don King at Adding ton as a 3-year-old in January, 2007, then sold a 75 per cent share to Brendan James, of Ballarat. Don King was then transferred to the Victorian stable of Graeme Lang.

Ashley Blossom won four races as a trotter when trained by Lilley. She is a half-sister by Gee Whiz to William Dee, winner of the Interdominion Trotting Final in Melbourne in 1992.

Interdominion winner Mr Feelgood regained winning form in a A$20,000 free-for-all at Melton.

Trained by Tim Butt and driven by Anthony Butt, Mr Feelgood rated 1:55.8 for the 1720m (mobile).

The entire has the A$50,000 Bendigo Cup next Saturday and the A$125,000 Ballarat Cup on January 30 on his programme as a lead-up to the A$400,000 A.G. Hunter Cup, which he was successful in last season, at Moonee Valley on February 6.

Raglan, winner of the Amberley Cup on January 3, will represent the Butt-Anderson stable in the $55,000 Northern Southland Cup at Invercargill on Thursday.

The stable has several horses, including newcomer Choise Achiever, engaged at the Marlborough meeting on Friday and Sunday.

The 3-year-old Courage Under gelding won his only start at Ashburton on November 12 for Charing Cross owner-trainer Don Feast.

Anthony Butt will drive members of the team at the three venues.