The French have bid farewell to winter and as the spring sun takes over the all-weather season gives way to turf track racing. It’s an exciting time as the better horses start to emerge in the lead-up to the quality racing the beckons in the late-spring, early-summer period.
OTI have already had very good success in France this season. Tom Melbourne’s sister, Araaja, won stylishly on her resumption while both Le Juge and Fastnet Cyclone impressed with their first-up runs.
Legendary trainer, John Hammond, will take Kaniva to the races for his debut at Compienge on Monday (11.20pm ADST). The dual Prix de l’Arc-winning trainer has commented that Kaniva is a settled galloper with a nice action that will only get better as he steps up in distance.
Like so many of OTI’s young Northern Hemisphere gallopers this 3YO gelding is a son of Fastnet Rock. OTI’s partners named the 3YO crop of Fastnet Rock’s after Victorian county towns and located just 43km east of the South Australia border, Kaniva is home to approximately 1,000 residents.
Monday’s debut at Compiegne over 1600M is certainly short of Kaniva’s best distance but it will prove a good pipe-opener to future contests over 2000M and beyond. OTI wishes its partners all the best with this gelding and hopefully a successful future lies ahead.
