Racing: Faulks' day at Forbury trials

Courage To Fly (left, driven by Andrew Faulks) beats Ngaire Margaret (driven by Craig Buchan) in...
Courage To Fly (left, driven by Andrew Faulks) beats Ngaire Margaret (driven by Craig Buchan) in the final heat of the Forbury Park trials yesterday. Photo by Matt Smith.
The weather was better suited to fish, but Andrew Faulks' team did not seem to mind the rain at the Forbury Park trials yesterday.

Faulks drove the winners of all four heats, and trained three of them himself, including Aveross Picasso who dealt to three other pacers in the c0 and faster 2200m heat in 2.58.9.

The 7yr-old has been plagued by injury problems, and Faulks feared similar problems after the gelding ran fourth at Waikouaiti in March.

''He had done a suspensory earlier on in life - as a 4yr-old, I think,'' Faulks said.

''We turned him out and brought him back in that last time. He had four or five starts, and his leg blew up again.

"I thought it was the same thing but he must have just twisted a joint.

''So he had a month or six weeks off and has come back again.

"There's still a bit of puffiness in it, but it's always going to be like that and he's as sound as a bell.''

The winner of one of his 42 starts, Aveross Picasso is set to line up in the amateur drivers' race at Forbury Park on Thursday night.

Courage To Rule was a comfortable winner over stablemate Ngaire Margaret in the final heat, while Trison looks like one to keep an eye on when he gets a better day to qualify.

''He had one workout and he galloped a couple of times just with inexperience,'' Faulks said.

''But today, he paced really good. With a bit of competition and better practice, he'll be all right.''

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