Racing: Kerr trio strong prospects

Mitchell Kerr
Mitchell Kerr
Good things come in threes and that seems to ring true for Paul Kerr's team at Forbury Park tonight.

The Ohoka horseman has three strong chances on tonight's nine-race card - Princess Arts, Alta Jerome and Whozideawasthis.

Kerr's son, Mitchell, will take the reins behind the first two but he said Whozideawasthis - driven by Dexter Dunn - should be the toughest to bowl.

''He's probably our best chance,'' Mitchell Kerr said.

''He won as he liked last time - it's the same grade and same sort of field, so he'd be the best of our team.''

Whozideawasthis can continue his fine Forbury Park record in race four tonight. Photo by Matt Smith.
Whozideawasthis can continue his fine Forbury Park record in race four tonight. Photo by Matt Smith.
The American Ideal colt is unbeaten at Forbury Park from three starts and the 3yr-old concessions means he stays in the c1 grade for tonight's assignment over 2700m.

''He is a handy sort of horse all the same - I've had a bit of time for him. He just had a few growing problems when he was 2, which just limited him a little bit and as an early 3yr-old.

''But he's come back in fine fettle - Dexter's got the drive, so he's got everything in his favour.''

Kerr's first drive comes behind Princess Art, who was a comfortable winner when qualifying in 2.01.7 over a mile at Ashburton on June 24.

The Art Major 2yr-old filly is out of Natal Franco, who placed third in the 2008 New Zealand Oaks.

''She was a lovely mare and this filly has a wee bit of potential as well,'' Kerr said.

''She won easy [at the Ashburton trials] - I just led up and we were just there to qualify and look at everything and how it all goes. She just jogged that.''

The major threat to Princess Arts should be Pay Me Quick, a two-race winner who gets a start in the maiden grade due to her wins coming in maiden claiming races.

But from barrier 1, Kerr hopes everything falls into place for his juvenile filly.

''We're aiming to give her a wee bit of confidence before we tip her out again - she's there to win.''

Alta Jerome was not rewarded for working his way into the race at Forbury Park on June 19, getting shuffled back and held up around the turn.

Kerr plans to rectify that result and the scratching of Goodness Gracious Me will be a big help.

''He'll be very hard to beat, the way he went the other day. It'll take a good one to knock him off,'' Kerr said.

''He just had no luck at all and got carted back through the field. He flew home and with an ounce of luck, he'll be right in the finish.''

Burnham trainer Mark Jones was forced to scratch Goodness Gracious Me from the c2 2700m mobile pace after she collected a stone bruise on Tuesday.

''We weren't going to be able to clear it up in time so she had to be scratched,'' Jones said.

Jones said multiple group 1-winning trotter Master Lavros had returned from a spell in excellent order on Tuesday.

''I'm rapt with the way he's come back in. He usually comes back in looking pretty big but the problem is he always lightens off when he gets racing.

''Hopefully, being a year older, he might hold his condition a bit better.''

The stable's pacing star Saveapatrol still has another four months of swimming before Jones starts him on fast work in November.

''All going well, he might be back for the Invercargill Cup or, more realistically, the Auckland Cup.''

 

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