Trotter nearing return

Five-year-old trotter Cash Hall made his first racetrack appearance Wednesday morning since suffering a bout of colic last August, scoring an easy 10-length, 2:02.1 qualifying victory over a "good" Windsor Raceway racetrack.



"He's come back in great shape," trainer Bob McIntosh told harnessracing.com a few hours after Cash Hall's return with Don Rankin Jr. driving. "I had trained him in 1:58 on my farm and he was ready. I thought he looked as good as he ever looked today. He's holding his weight good; he was very relaxed. He just drew off by 10 lengths; it was like an easy training mile."



McIntosh said Cash Hall, a $290,000 yearling purchase from Walnut Hall Ltd., has won 10 of 25 career starts and $489,323 in purse earnings. The son of Self Possessed-Chatty Hanover finished third in the 2004 Hambletonian behind Windsong's Legacy, shortly after trotting to his career best of 1:52.4 while capturing a Dickerson Cup division at the Meadowlands.



Cash Hall's sophomore season came to a halt following the Simcoe in mid September when he became so sick that he nearly died. "That was touch and go," remembered McIntosh.



Cash Hall recovered and in 2005 made 11 starts, with his three wins including the $160,380 Frank Ryan Memorial at Rideau Carleton. But once again his season ended prematurely when he was afflicted with a bout of colic in late August.



"There was no surgery, they just had to manipulate his intestine in order to relieve the gas," said McIntosh.



McIntosh, who shares ownership of Cash Hall with CSX Stables, Michael Kohler and Cash Hall Stable, said a pair of qualifiers are on the schedule before he enters his charge into a pari-mutuel contest.



"He'll probably qualify once more at Windsor and then once in Toronto," said McIntosh. "There is no real game plan, but I am very pleased at this point.



"This was the healthiest winter he's had," he continued. "I've never really had him come back the weight I wanted him to be, but now he must weigh 1,100 or 1,200 pounds. He's a big horse, about 17 hands. He just looks a mature horse now."



As for possibly taking on the likes of Mr. Muscleman, Hellava Hush, Strong Yankee and Vivid Photo this year, McIntosh said, "It will be tough but he's tough too. They'll know he's around."

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