Polar Blast back on track
Polar Blast’s stable and veterinarian thought he would never race again following a sickening leg injury. After nine months of rehabilitation work, the star gelding is almost back to the racetrack.
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When people see the photos of Polar Blast’s leg at its worst, those at the Janel Ryan stable say they just shake their head.
The versatile FNQ gelding, who has won from 1000m up to a mile, was just starting a spell in the paddock in January of this year after running a credible race in the Magic Millions Country Cup on the Gold Coast.
Then disaster struck.
The Ryan yard thought their star seven-year-old would be lucky to live, let alone race again.
Polar Blast went out for a spell and kicked through a fence, getting his back leg caught.
It was an accidental strike which nearly resulted in his back leg being cut off.
“It was bad, it was f****** terrible,” stable representative Ronnie Ryan said.
“It was touch and go with him really, we thought we would lose him.
“People see the photos of how bad he was and they just shake their head.”
Like the majority of horse trainers and jockeys, the Tolga-based Ryans love their horses like they are family and if a gun like Polar Blast is never going to race again, they want to make sure he can live out his days in a safe way, instead of having to be euthanased.
The Ryans, a couple of veterinarians and their stable staff thought they would lose Polar Blast earlier this year but on Friday afternoon he will make a triumphant return to racing at Cannon Park.
The winner of 10 career races from just 29 starts, to go with nine minor placings, will be first-up in the Open Handicap (950m).
“Between us, Ethan Maloney, the veterinary, Dave Johnson, another old vet, and the people that give us a hand at the track, it has taken that long,” Ronnie said.
“They were all very good to the horse, they played a big part in it all.
“We were with him twice a day for the first four months.
“It was back to about a 10 cent piece the scar, all his back leg was opened up.”
Being first-up from a nine-month break is a massive task for any horse but for one who has fought back from life-threatening injuries, the stable expects Polar Blast to take a few runs to get back to where he was, when he won four straight races through the back end of 2019.
Ryan’s stable rider Rachel Shred also made a comeback of sorts over the last week, taking her first rides back at Mareeba last Saturday following a nasty fall at Townsville in May.
Shred took three rides and will be back at Cairns Jockey Club this Friday.
“She was good, she did everything right and it will take her a couple more weeks to get back into the rhythm of it all,” Ronnie said.
Meanwhile, north Queensland hoop Chelsea Jokic piloted a winning double at Mackay on Tuesday and will ride in FNQ on Friday.
Originally published as Polar Blast back on track