The trial was not run at any great pace but featured two leading contenders for tomorrow’s feature pace and feature trot.
The 1800m heat was won by Hopes And Dreams, who beat Playboy’s Brother and To Ri Alby.
The born-again Oamaru trotter, Playboy’s Brother, will attempt to carry on his hot holiday form. The Colin McKay-trained squaregaiter lines up for his first start in over a month in the feature trot. He comes off a break after winning three races in six days and then running second another four days over the Christmas-New Year holiday racing circuit. Prior to his hot run of form the horse had disappointed McKay and poor manners contributed to a string of failures.
Given the way the horse has returned from his break McKay is positive that those issues are well and truly behind him.
That was evident in Playboy’s Brother’s Waikouaiti trial effort on Sunday in which McKay tested the horse’s gate speed.
"I took him to the Waikouaiti trials as there is a mobile coming up there and I thought I would see how he would handle that, and he came out of it like a real experienced horse," McKay said.
Manners aside, fitness may be the first concern for punters looking to back a horse racing for the first time in a month. But McKay is confident his charge is ready to show his best and believes that his 30m handicap could be Playboy’s Brother’s biggest concern.
"He is going pretty good. I would say he if he makes his usual good beginning he won’t be far off them at the finish."
Sundon’s Flyer looks to be Playboy’s Brother’s main rival tomorrow.
The horse drops massively in class from racing Harriet Of Mot and other good trotters at Addington recently.
The Bruce Negus-trained squaregaiter has a strong record on grass, paying a dividend in six of her 13 starts on the surface.
The ultra-consistent We’ll Meet Again is another with serious winning claims. Hopes And Dreams is one of three horses Westwood Beach trainer Graeme Anderson lines up in the feature pace. He also has Smooth Mara and Motu Time To Shine in the 3000m staying test.
Hopes And Dreams comes in was a good fourth in richer company in last month’s Invercargill Cup. The horse fought off a serious mid-race challenge for the lead before fighting on strongly at the finish.
Smooth Mara ran third in the Gore Grass Cup last weekend and has the standing-start manners to enable driver Dexter Dunn to control the race in front.
The Ken and Tony Barron-trained Don Domingo is another horse dropping in class after racing in stronger events at Addington and is a serious winning chance.
