Courage Swab Caution
Illawarra Mercury
Wednesday January 19, 2000
Star pacer Courage Under Fire will have a precautionary swab taken tomorrow to make sure he is drug-free for Saturday night's round one of the Interdom Melbourne 2000 heats at Moonee Valley.
Courage Under Fire was taken to the Werribee Veterinary Clinic and put on antibiotics last Thursday after he aggravated a deep abscess in his nearside front hoof during trackwork.
The diminutive four-year-old, unbeaten in 24 starts, showed he was back on target to contest the $2.2million Interdom series following the injury scare when he put in a brilliant workout at Moonee Valley yesterday.
Watched by Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) chairman of stewards Gerrard Lalor and HRV vet Richard Cust, Courage Under Fire worked with a galloping ``prompter" and didn't go overly quick for the first 800m of his workout.
However, he ran the last 1600m in 1:57.4, the last half (800m) in a sizzling 55.2 seconds and ran home the last quarter (400m) in 27.3.
Trainer Bruce Negus agreed to have the precautionary swab to ensure any treatment given to the horse was out of his system before Saturday night.
© 2000 Illawarra Mercury
