In-form trotter is no stone-cold certainty
Garrick Knight - Raceform • November 27th, 2025 4:03 PM • 4 min read
The Waikato trotter tackles the $15,000 Classique Landscapers Handicap (Race 4) and has only five opponents to contend with.
He’s coming in with two highly impressive wins on the track at his last two starts and bookies opened him as their $2.50 elect on Tuesday. So why does trainer Jason Teaz not share their exuberance?
“He can win, but I would say he’s only at about 85% fitness this week,” he told RaceForm. “He hasn’t raced for three weeks, and he’s done a bit too well in that time.”
There’s a reason for the extra week between runs, and it revolves around a plan to take him south next month.
“I’m planning on taking him down to Ashburton for the Harness 5000 raceday and I’m conscious of having him perfect for that.
“So he had about a week off after his last start and that means he might be a bit fresh this week. I am going to work him again tomorrow morning (Wednesday) and hopefully he cleans up a bit better for that.”
All things considered, Teaz and Stone Cold’s owners are enjoying a fun ride lately after a bit of a roller-coaster 24 months with the son of Wishing Stone. He’s always well-backed and generally never goes a bad race, but he’s lacked that knockout blow in most of his races – until now.
“There’s a few reasons for that. I do think he could have been put in the race more at times, and that’s why Sailesh (Abernethy, driver) is clicking so well with him.
“But more than that, he’s had a lot of setbacks – mainly growing pains – and that’s sort of help him up along the way. He had growing pains as a two-year-old and could only really cop one fast work a week, which kind of delayed his progress.
“He was sore all the time last year but raced through it and was regularly recording seconds and thirds without looking like winning.
“Really, I wanted to turn him out sooner than I did, but we kept him going for the Golden Gait Final, which was $100,000. Then we ended up drawing the outside over the mile and the whole thing was a waste of time. It felt like we wasted two months that he could have spent in the paddock.
“He got some vet work done and went to the paddock for six months to be forgotten about.”
While not immediately apparent, Teaz says that Stone Cold is a different horse now.
“His first couple of runs were just okay, but he’s really turned the corner physically now and starting to deliver on the promise he’s always shown.”
Teaz says provided the horse is sound and healthy, only a cancelled plane will stop him being at Ashburton for the $60,000 Final on December 21.
“He’s booked on, and they’ve said they’ll fly with three. I know Roydon Downey is planning on going with Santapazienza, so hopefully we can get one more northerner and the trip will happen.
“If not, the Golden Gait night is on that same weekend and we will just go around in that instead.”
Teaz was due to take three trotters to his local meeting at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday night and felt he was a chance of jagging a win.
“Kaipaki Jack is probably due a winning turn. I was quite happy with him in the Thames Cup and his work since has been good.
“Wynberg Janie is learning – slowly – and I’ll just be happy if she gets around without breaking this week.
“Veronica Jane is close to another win but you really can’t predict what she’s going to do. She’s just been served by E L Titan this week, so the clock might ticking towards retirement for her.”
Teaz has high hopes for a promising juvenile gelding named Always Be A Prince that is due to qualify before the races at Cambridge on Thursday afternoon.
“He’s the best young horse I’ve had in quite a while. He’s a big horse but does everything so well. We’ll see a lot more of him in about six months’ time.”
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