Snow returns to Cambridge

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk

It may be nearing summer, but snow is back - Snow Weaver that is.

After a seven year hiatus from the training ranks, the man behind star trotters Petite Evander and Pride of Petite made a winning return at Cambridge Raceway earlier this month with debutant Petitewillshine.

Weaver was delighted with the win and said the four-year-old gelding favoured the left-handed way of going at Cambridge.

“We had been having trouble getting him to go right-handed and he won two of his first three workouts left-handed and then we switched to right-handed and we got into trouble,” he said.

“It was good to see him come back left-handed and win so well.”

The Takanini trainer will return to Cambridge Raceway on Sunday with Petitewillshine where he will line-up in the John Deere Cambridge Handicap Trot (2200m).

“We should go alright on Sunday,” Weaver said. “I only hope that he trots all the way.”

Weaver said he owes a lot of Petitewillshine’s success to his stepson Peter McCormick who is the main reason why he is back training.

“I had a crook back and sitting in the cart was no good, so I was pre-training them and then giving them to James (Stormont, trainer),” Weaver said.

“Eighteen months ago Pete said to me to keep my license and he’ll look after the horses.

“He has got his own business installing showers and has three guys working for him. He gets up at 4am to work this horse, so they are big days.”

Weaver said he has scaled back his breeding operation over the last few years and Petitewillshine is the only horse he has in work.

“We are working just the one at the moment,” he said. “I sold two broodmares to Woodlands Stud and I leased another one out.”

While Weaver will be hoping Petitewillshine can make it back-to-back wins at Cambridge Raceway on Sunday he will be keeping close tabs on Trackside.

Weaver sent Out Spitfire, who was trained in New Zealand by Bernie Hackett and Michelle Wallis, to Brent Lilley in Victoria and the five-year-old gelding will be having his fifth Australian start at Maryborough on Sunday.

The Majestic Son gelding won first-up at Bendigo and has finished runner-up in two of his other starts.

Weaver has been pleased with the way he has been performing and he is hoping he is toasting trans-Tasman success on Sunday night.