Miss Softhands to contest MRC Foundation Handicap 2016

Wet tracks are usually a help to horses with feet problems but trainer Colin Little doesn’t want a track too badly rain-affected for talented mare Miss Softhands.

Little has Miss Softhands running at Caulfield on Saturday in the MRC Foundation Handicap and he’s keeping an eye on the weather.

With heavy rain falling across Victoria, the Caulfield track was rated a soft 7 on Thursday.

Little said because Miss Softhands races in bar plates, a track with give in it is beneficial but he doesn’t want it too wet.

“We hate bar shoes on soft ground because they can act like a suction cap,” Little said.

“The sting out of the ground is OK but we don’t want it where they get right into the track.”

Little said Miss Softhands’ feet caused him to err on the side of caution when he scratched her from the Group Two Let’s Elope Stakes at Flemington last Saturday.

The mare drew barrier 17 and while Little said she wasn’t advantaged by the draw in what looked a very tough race, he was also unhappy with her feet on race morning.

“We thought she had the start of a foot abscess,” Little said.

“We weren’t happy with her on race morning but it turned out to be nothing.

“The farrier came in and reshod her and she was fine but we erred on the side of caution.”

Miss Softhands has had three runs this campaign and was a last-start seventh behind Ocean Embers in the Group Three Cockram Stakes (1200m) on August 27.

“She was a bit unlucky and got in on the fence and that’s not her preferred place to be,” Little said.

“She doesn’t quicken, she’s a mare that likes to roll into it out wide.

“She’s gone on nicely since and we’re very happy with her.”

 

Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au

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