There is a chance of windburn about race 7.
Trotter Dark Horse returns to racing after wowing onlookers with a breathtaking win in her last start at Invercargill.
The trotter broke early and lost approximately 100m before catching the field and unleashing a sizzling sprint from last on the home turn.
The 4yr-old is quite simply a speed machine, according to her trainer-driver, Nathan Williamson.
"She’s just got so much speed."
Dark Horse takes on a c1-2 mobile contest, and Williamson goes into tomorrow’s race with cautious optimism after drawing 1 on the second row.
"It is going to be a wee bit tricky just making sure we stay off the fence."
If the pair do gain clear running, Williamson expects Dark Horse to be hard to beat.
"I know it was a huge run the other day but she is best driven with one run. She could give them a fair start at the 400m and pick them up."
Williamson drives Sovereign Banner in race 5 and has recently driven race rival Mighty Flying Deal. The switch came at the request of owners of Sovereign Banner who also have horses with Williamson, he said.
The Graeme Anderson-trained gelding brings both a 2700m Forbury Park trial win in 3.22.3 and strong race-day form to the contest.
"He’s a nice catch drive, for sure, and he’s got to be hard to beat."
Williamson is the regular pilot of Fiddlethefool who lines up in race 10.
The 4yr-old dead-heated with high-class stablemate Costa Del Magnifico in a recent Ascot Park workout.
"He trialled up nicely."
Williamson expects Fiddlethefool to be highly competitive tomorrow.
"He’s a pretty nice horse."
"Off his nice draw, I think he will be one of the ones to beat."
In the same workout Black Athena ran third, three-quarters of a length behind her two stablemates.
Williamson steers the mare, who takes on a c1 field low on strong raceday form.
"She can do things wrong at times. If she got it all together on the day she would prove to be one of the hardest ones in there to beat."
The Ryal Bush trainer-driver has a decent opinion of Keepover who lines up in race 5.
Though the horse galloped in a recent Balfour trial, Williamson did not expect manners to be an issue tomorrow.
"He’s quite a nice horse, this one. He will improve with racing — mentally and physically."
Keepover could prove a horse to follow over the southern Christmas-New Year circuit.
"I think he’s a nice Christmas horse that I have a bit of time for."
- Jonny Turner
Driver to follow
Nathan Williamson
Race 1: Black Athena (4).
Race 2: Get Real (5).
Race 3: Sovereign Banner (5).
Race 5: Keepover (4).
Race 6: Swap Over (13)
Race 7: Dark Horse (9).
Race 9: Jaccka Corin (4).
Race 10: Fiddlethefool (2).
Race 11: Le Vado (11).
