Mark Twain is on a path to qualify for the Melbourne Cup a second time, with a first public appearance in 16 months during an exhibition gallop at Te Rapa on Saturday.
Mark Twain won the Listed Roy Higgins in March 2024 to stamp his ticket for last year’s edition of the Melbourne Cup, but a subsequent tendon injury has kept him out of the public eye since.
The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained son of Shocking is progressing well on his comeback trail.
“He’s in great order. He didn’t have a lot of idle time,” James told NZ Racing Desk.
“The OTI team have used the services of Matthew Williams in Warrnambool who has had a lot of success with those similar injuries.
“He was not idle from the time it happened until four or five months afterwards and then they gave him a month off, two months before he came back over to us.
“We are mixing it up with a combination of swimming, treadmill and some trackwork, so he’s on a varied program.”
Mark Twain will likely have just one start in New Zealand this spring before an Australian campaign.
“He needs to qualify for the Melbourne Cup again so he will be aimed towards a race like the Bart Cummings in October,” OTI’s Terry Henderson said.
