Kal kick-off for Ethiopia
Australian Derby winner Ethiopia is likely to be a surprise starter in Sunday week's $100,000 Coolgardie Cup (1760m).
To have the 2012 derby winner and dual Melbourne Cup runner start in the first leg of the rich Goldfields staying treble would be a huge coup for the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Racing Club.
The Coolgardie Cup kicks off the carnival, which also includes the Boulder Cup, Kalgoorlie Cup and the Hannan's Sprint.
Ethiopia's Melbourne jockey Rhys McLeod will be offered the ride on the $1.27 million stakes-winner, who would carry 62kg, the maximum topweight.
Breeder and owner Trevor Delroy is keen to use the Coolgardie Cup as a precursor to a return to Melbourne for a crack at the $500,000 Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 4.
Ethiopia is being prepared by Karnup trainer Rebecca Nairn after being transferred to her from the Mornington stables of Pat Carey.
The six-year-old was found to have pulled hamstring muscles after his 11th with 60kg in the Mornington Cup Prelude (2000m) at Caulfield on February 1. Ethiopia then underwent rehabilitation at Delroy's Wyadup Valley Farm beach property, near Yallingup, for five months.
Delroy was aware Ethiopia was flat-footed in front but it was not until vets X-rayed the stayer's hind quarters at the Werribee Veterinary Clinic that he learnt there was an issue with the gelding's hind feet.
The X-rays showed there were major problems with Ethiopia's weight distribution. "We had never thought to have his back hooves X-rayed," Delroy said.
"He had pulled up lame in the hind quarters and I sent him to Werribee for the vets to have a look at him.
"One of the vets is a podiatrist and he found that 80 per cent of his weight was going on to the front of his hooves.
"We cut his feet right back and put wedges on. He would never build up behind but he has now put on 30kg and most of that is in his hind.
"We want to keep him on firm footing, but not rock hard, and feel Kalgoorlie can provide that surface. If he was to do well he would then go to Melbourne."
Delroy has spent countless hours trotting Ethiopia behind a bike and has also waded him regularly at Geographe Bay.
"He has done 1000km of trotting," Delroy said. "He has learnt to trot at a fast pace and has his speed up to 28 kilometres an hour.
"I kept weight off his back by leading him on the bike. He has muscled up nicely."
Meanwhile, doctors have cleared champion jockey Paul Harvey to return to trackwork.
Harvey, who has been out since last May with a shoulder injury, should resume race riding within a fortnight.
Jockey Glenn Smith is expected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks after bruising his spine in a fall from Cargo Cruiser in the first race at Broome last Saturday.
"I kept weight off his back by leading him on the bike. He has muscled up nicely.""Ethiopia's owner *Trevor Delroy *
