Franklins on the mend

Mark Tompkins is hopeful Franklins Gardens will recover from a leg injury in time for the Emirates Melbourne Cup.

Although speculation has mounted that the five-year-old would be scratched from te race after he pulled up lame on his off-hind on Friday morning, Tompkins believes his Yorkshire Cup winner may still make the line-up.

“It is not a flexor tendon injury as some have said and I think it is just deep bruising,” reasoned the Newmarket handler.

“He could have gone one of two ways after Friday and the good news is that he has gone the right way, so I am still hopeful he will run on Tuesday.

“He’s under medication at the moment and is improving all the time.”

Franklins Gardens’ jockey Darryll Holland is also optimistic and added: “Mark was gutted on Friday – we all were – but hopefully he (Franklins Gardens) will be all right; he’s certainly in the right hands.”