Old horse has learned some new tricks

Kash Valley and driver Loren Lester (outer) hold out Lone Star Lad and Mark Hurrell to win at...
Kash Valley and driver Loren Lester (outer) hold out Lone Star Lad and Mark Hurrell to win at Forbury Park last night.PHOTO: JONNY TURNER
Ashburton trotter Kash Valley might be old, but she is spry.

The Ben Waldron-trained trotter continued to make up for her missing nearly two years of racing when she won at Forbury Park last night.

She looked more like a young horse with more to learn than a seasoned 6yr-old veteran, when scoring a front-running win.

Waldron confirmed Kash Valley's career has plenty of upside, considering her age.

"She is a funny old horse - she is greener than you would think for her age.

"She will probably be even better coming off another horse's back."

Kash Valley's nearly two years away from racing was due to her suffering from a stifle injury.

"She got crook in a stifle and she got sent to us because we have got the facilities to be able to help that a bit.

"We have got a water-walker, it is our own design and it strengthens them up as they go.

"It is a really good asset for a horse like her."

Kash Valley's victory backed up her last start win at Oamaru on Sunday.

The trotter was perfectly rated in front by junior driver
Loren Lester.

The victory was Lester's first at Forbury Park, and the ninth of her short career. Six of her wins have been with trotters.

Kash Valley held off the finish of Lone Star Lad, who staged an incredible comeback for second.

The horse looked to have lost all hope of winning when galloping at the start, and tailed the rest of the field by about 100m.

The horse was still six lengths off the back of the pack before staging an incredible recovery to run second.

Santanna Lad was not quite that far off the leaders at the same point during race 5, but victory looked similarly unlikely.

Driver Robbie Close produced an ice-cold steer in the final 400m of the event to win with the pacer.

Close took runs between runners, finding a gap in the straight for the Matt Purvis-trained pacer to run through.

Purvis admitted the horse's winning chances looked slim before the home turn.

"I was getting a bit nervous before the turn when he had all of those horses in front of him.

"That makes the trip down here worthwhile."

Santanna Lad has produced top five finishes in all but two of his eight race starts since joining Purvis' Rangiora barn.

Purvis said he hoped that good form could continue, as he was winning the battle with the horse's soundness issues.

"He has always had a motor, but he has had soundness problems, but we are on top of them now."

Winton horsewoman Chelsea Faithful scored her second win as a trainer when Tartan Trilogy won race 7.

The 9yr-old and driver Maruia Parker emerged the winner of a tight finish with Kotare Elite and driver Kimberly Butt.

Faithful was in the sulky behind her other runner in the race, Triroyale Brigade, who ran third.

Faithful's first training victory also came on the Forbury track in 2017, with Understudy.

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