Racing: Talented mare ready to fire

New Years Jay might have finally switched on to being a racehorse - and that could be bad news for her race rivals over the spring.

The 8yr-old mare flew through the grades last season - largely on raw ability and high speed - racking up six wins from 11 starts after winning once as a late 6yr-old.

But her Westwood Beach trainer, Amber Hoffman, loved what she saw from the daughter of Washington VC at the Addington trials yesterday.

Up against just one other rival, Highland Reign, New Years Jay started from 40m behind but made up the handicap after just 200m and went on to win by three-quarters of a length in the hands of regular driver Jonny Cox, carving out the last 400m in 27.3sec.

''Jonny just trailed the whole way and at about the 400, he pulled out and sat outside the other horse,'' Hoffman said.

''She was under a big hold - she was quite keen today. She must have clicked on to the racing game, I think. She actually looked like a racehorse today instead of something that didn't know what it was doing.''

If the penny has dropped, New Years Jay will be a genuine threat at her first start this season, most likely to be a c5 to open class 2400m pace at Ashburton on Labour Day.

Hoffman had been hoping for four or five rivals in yesterday's trial, but had to make do with just Highland Reign after Alexy was withdrawn.

''I think the trip up and just being out at the track and seeing the place has done her the world of good anyway,'' Hoffman said.

''She had a good sweat and a shake when she arrived, but I was just happy she paced beautifully, she steered good and she stepped away like a rocket.''

New Years Jay's gait was ''flawless'' yesterday, which Hoffman puts down to some variety in her work.

''We're doing a lot of galloping with her now and she's loving it, so it's just making her that little bit fitter,'' she said.

''I think it's helped her. She paced really well today. She gets a bit of a hop and a skip going and she can have a break and a bit of a gallop, but today she was flawless.''

Hoffman is keen to target the group 3 free-for-all on New Zealand Cup day, provided Cox does not have to drive Brilliant Strike in the same race, and is not ruling out the option of a North Island campaign for the mares' features at Alexandra Park in December.

''I think she would love going the Auckland way around. We wanted to take her up last year but she came to the end of it.

''We'll see how she goes - if she's going good enough, we may as well go up and have a crack.''

Stent was in winning form in the feature trotting heat, downing Tim Butt's Swedish import Daryl Boko by 1 lengths with a closing 400m of 29.3sec.