Acesndiamonds wins a race at Wagga back in 2008. She will make a return to the track today for the first time in three-and-a-half years.
HARNESS RACING
A MOTHER of two who has spent more than three years away from the racetrack will make a surprise return to racing at Wagga Paceway today.
Acesndiamonds has been off the scene since October 2009 but will kick off an unexpected comeback when she lines up in today's Christopher Moses-Zahar Ladyship C1-C3 Cup (1755m) at Wagga.
Now an eight-year-old, Acesndiamonds has had two foals and missed a third this breeding season before trainer Steve Harris brought the mare back into work.
Originally Harris laughed about the idea of a return to the track but it slowly became more and more likely as Acesndiamonds did everything right.
"She's working as strong now, even though she's fat, as she ever has," Harris said yesterday.
"Perhaps after a couple of runs under her belt, she might be able to win one.
"That would be a fairytale result for her."
Acesndiamonds earnt $25,000 in prizemoney with eight wins and 17 placings from 55 starts before injury put her on the sidelines.
Harris always planned to get the mare back to the track.
"She went out with a small injury, nothing serious, and had to have six months off," Harris explained.
"Stud season then came around and I thought bugger it, we'll get her in foal.
"She was only going to have one foal then we would get her back into work but she ended up having another foal.
"This year she was out in the paddock and I thought she was a waste out there so I put her on the jogger and we were laughing about it that would get her back to the races. It was all a bit of a joke."
Harris said it was only when he inspected Acesndiamonds' grading that the comeback became more serious.
"We looked and she was a C1," Harris said.
"She's such a nice horse and a real pleasure to train and there has been no dramas with her at all."
Acesndiamonds has drawn the outside of the front row for her return today and Harris said he is likely to go back from the tricky gate.
He warned punters not too expect too much from Acesndiamonds at this early stage.
"She's very fat and big, she'll have to go to the races every week to get rock hard fit," Harris said.
"I don't expect too much of her (today). I just thought she would be wasted in the paddock.
"The idea is just to race her at Wagga during the winter time."