One-time Melbourne Cup fancy Mark Twain (NZ) (Shocking) is nearing the end of his rehabilitation from a tendon injury as connections plan for another Cup tilt in 2025.
OTI Racing director Terry Henderson said this week the rehabilitation program other stable runners have undergone for similar tendon injuries has a comeback strike-rate of about 70 per cent, so hopes are high Mark Twain can also make it back to the track.
“He’s close to the end of his rehabilitation with Matty Williams and he looks good as he finishes off,” Henderson said.
“What happens now is that he will have six weeks in the paddock and then Matty will give him four or five weeks’ work before he goes back to (trainer) Roger (James).
“So it’ll be about three months before he gets back to Roger and that will allow him a good, slow build-up to the spring.
“The (rehabilitation) process has worked well. We’ve had a number of horses go through it including last Saturday’s winner Karburan and we are running at about 70 per cent (success rate).
“If you can get them back for four or five runs, we call it a success, so fingers crossed.”
It should be a much earlier return to the track for Mark Twain’s three-quarter brother Samuel Langhorne (NZ) (Shocking), who is expected to run at Ballarat on Saturday.
Also a stayer on the rise, Samuel Langhorne has not raced since he finished sixth in the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington in May.
