Racing: Injury again keeps Kara off her favourite

You have to feel for Kara Waters at a time like this.

For months the fearless Cambridge apprentice has been looking forward to riding her stable favourite Bart in features like today's Lion Red Inter-Island Steeplechase at Paeroa.

Then a fortnight back disaster strikes for the second time in a year.

Just weeks after returning from a lengthy shoulder injury, a lamb of a horse dumps Waters at the training track, leaving her leg in a cast and her season in tatters.

"It just happened while she was walking out to the track - it definitely hasn't been her year," said Sheryl McGlade, Waters' boss and Bart's co-trainer with husband Roger McGlade.

"She should have been out of her time already, but with all these delays she's joking that she'll be the country's oldest apprentice before then."

Waters' heartbreak is Richard Eynon's gain today, however, and on the road to Bart's main assignment this campaign, the newly positioned Great Northern chase at Ellerslie on September 10.

For the McGlades, Eynon was the obvious replacement for Bart's regular pilot.

He has ridden Bart twice before, for a fourth in the gelding's debut chase and an end-of-season second, also at Ellerslie, this time to Inter-Island rival The Storytella.

Sheryl McGlade is confident Eynon reunites with her Paeroa course specialist close to his peak today.

She warns against reading too many negatives into a distant last-start fourth to Central Districts' sensation No Hero at Hastings.

It was Bart's first chase left-handed - his previous 11 have been at either Ellerslie or Paeroa - and McGlade figures his wayward corners robbed him of a dividend.

Bart is close to invincible over the Paeroa hill. His only losses there in six starts were in a hurdle race on a firmish track, and when a brave second to Cool Conductor in the Inter-Island last year.

"I'm very happy with him going into this race," said McGlade.

"He's had a bit of a break since Hawkes Bay and seems to race best with a breather."

With no obvious pacemaking rival today, you'd expect Eynon to jump this year's McGregor Grant winner straight to the lead over the 4800m.

But McGlade won't be too bothered if Eynon settles Bart in a stalker role instead.

"He doesn't have to lead anymore, he's settled a bit more in himself now," she said.

"My only concern is that he may be a bit apprehensive early on. He took a fair bit of skin off at Hawkes Bay and sometimes they can jump high until they get the feel of the bamboo again."

* In the $25,000 Paeroa Hurdles, the Ann and Ken Browne stable clashes with New Plymouth trainer John Wheeler whose Midnight Opal looks a danger to a four-pronged Browne assault on the race.

Topweight Drizzle looks the pick of the Browne quartet. He has won six of his 16 hurdle races, and has strong lead-up form on the flat.