Partnership likely to go ahead

By Michael Guerin

One of the north’s more energetic training partnerships looks to be getting back together again.

Former northern trainer Simon McMullan is returning to Pukekohe and is likely to go back into partnership with Steven Reid after their successful association from 2014-17.

Back then the pair trained 73 winners without having huge numbers in work before McMullan moved to Canterbury for family reasons.

But he is back and Reid is looking forward to joining forces again.

“Initially we were going to work together but we have since discussed it and Simon is keen on partnering up again which suits me,” says Reid.

“It will be great to have him back again because he is a very good horseman and we are good friends too.”

McMullan will bring three horses and they will join the 15 Reid has in work with a few more to join the team.

The stable star will be Star Galleria who Reid is thrilled with even after just two weeks, with his body sound as he starts the road to what Reid hopes will be a busier northern open class season.

“I am hoping with all the good horses having been forced to have a spell then they will come back around the same time we have and then probably end up in the same races,” says Reid,

“So Telf (Steven Telfer) and Barry (Purdon) will have open class horses and we have Star Galleria and if a few more are around we could have some consistent open class racing.

“But so far so good with him. He looks great.”

Reid and McMullan will be in the exciting position of having two genuine group grade three-year-olds to bring back into work in Mr Fantastic and Shes No Lady.

“It is a real bonus with that class of horse to have a lot of those two-year-old races we missed being scheduled for September and October. That gives us something to aim horses like these ones at.”

Reid says the Franklin Park track at Pukekohe has been extremely busy since it re-opened three weeks ago.