Liz Forrester back at the Gold Coast track and training with mare Kick ‘n’ Tel

GOLD Coast breeder and trainer Liz Forrester will return to racing after nearly a 12 month hiatus as Kick ‘n’ Tel prepares to have her first run back today.

Kick ‘n’ Tel (purple cap with yellow stars) finished second behind Saipan in her last run at the Gold Coast. Picture: Jessica Hawkins. Trackside Photography.

GOLD Coast breeder and trainer Liz Forrester will return to racing after nearly a 12-month hiatus as Kick ’n’ Tel prepares to have her first run back today.

The five-year-old mare will be ridden by jockey Laura Cheshire in the Frank Evans Memorial Handicap (1200m).

Kick ’n’ Tel is Forrester’s only horse racing at the moment. The Telesto mare is making her return after a foot injury and barrier problems forced her out of action after running second to Saipan on the Gold Coast in March last year.

Breeder and trainer Elizabeth Forrester with Kick 'n' Tel. Picture: Supplied.

“She had a few little issues with various things and that’s why she has been not raced all this time,” Forrester said.

“But it was just a matter of giving her sufficient time to get over foot problems and she also had a bit of a problem with the barriers so we had to put a bit of time into that.

“She just doesn’t like going into the barriers so we will be using a blindfold to get her in. Hopefully that will be the end of the issues.

“She hasn’t had an official trial or anything like that but we are still fairly confident she will be able to go the distance.”

Forrester’s involvement in racing has been unusual.

The Labrador resident, who never had a history in racing growing up, bought into her first horse, Telestah La Vistah, in 2004.

She enjoyed it so much she completed a course in training.

Forrester began breeding and training and even had a property at Beaudesert for a while where she bred them.

Forrester has only trained the few horses she has bred, waiting for each to be ready to race before going to the track.

“When I was growing up we used to have a couple of old draught horses that we would ride down to get the eggs from the chooks in country NSW but that was the extent of it,” she said.

“I always had an interest in it but I personally didn’t get involved until later.

“When things didn’t work out with a horse then there would be a bit of a break in training until the next one was ready.

“I’ve just got a couple of horses and basically do most things myself.”

Today’s seven-race program on the Gold Coast will be the turf club’s inaugural memorial race day.

Races have been named in honour of famous horses, as well as people who have been supporters of the Gold Coast club.