Empire Flame looks an anchor for the TAB Pick6 at the Timaru Harness Racing Club meeting at Addington tonight.
Empire Flame has won his last two starts impressively and has recorded four wins, two seconds and a third from eight starts.
The Laurence Hanrahan-trained 4yr-old sat in the open for the last 1800m at Ashburton over 2400m on December 9 at his last start and proved too strong for Smooth Julius.
He has drawn four over the 1950m (mobile) tonight and should be able to take up a handy position early.
Galatos was a game second to the talented Lightning Raider a week ago, in his first race for five weeks.
He was driven by Ricky May, who stays with Empire Flame tonight.
Gerard O'Reilly takes the reins.
Bushfire should be improved by his third fresh-up to Empire Flame and Smooth Julius.
• The Judicial Control Authority appeals tribunal hearing of the Geoff Small appeal has been deferred from today and tomorrow until January 13 and 14.
The tribunal set to hear the matter is Sir John Hansen and Geoff Hall.
Small was disqualified on November 23 for six months and fined $5000 and costs $4000 over the scratching of All Tiger at Addington on October 16 and abusing veterinary surgeon Corin Murfitt.
Small is operating under a stay.
He has filed an application for a judicial review of the case which will be heard in the High Court at Christchurch on February 1.
An appeal by Small against a two-year ban imposed earlier this year by New South Wales stewards for using the anti-bleeding drug tranexamic acid on Changeover was completed in Sydney on Tuesday.
A decision was reserved.
• Reon Tither, the Invercargill junior driver, will leave for Western Australia on February 1 to take up a position as stable driver for trainer John Graham.
Tither, who has driven 65 winners, will be domiciled at Bunbury, 140km south of Perth, where Graham trains a team of 35 horses.
• Star Of Venus, who has not raced for nearly 13 months, won a trial at Motukarara yesterday.
The 5yr-old beat Cullini by three and a-half lengths running the last 400 in 26.9 for trainer-driver Jim Curtin.
Kahdon created a fine impression when she qualified as a trotter 6.3sec inside the required time.
Kahdon, trained by Paul Nairn, is a 3yr-old by Sundon from Kahola, a daughter of Kahu Del, the dam of the talented pacers Swan Creek and Harnetts Creek.
Two daughters of Soky's Rose qualified yesterday.
Miss Elsie is an Elsu 3yr-old trained by Colin and Julie De Filippi, who prepared another of the progeny of Soky's Rose, B Grudge, to reach open company.
Rural Jack, a 4yr-old by Falcon Seelster from Soky's Rose, also qualified for the De Filippis.
• Sydney jockey Corey Brown has decided to stay with exciting 3yr-old Monaco Consul in the Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day, NZPA reported.
Brown rode Monaco Consul to win the Victoria Derby last month and does not want to lose the mount.
"I really think Monaco Consul can develop into one of the best horses around so I've got to stay in the saddle," Brown said.
The High Chaparral colt was based at the Flemington stable of Mike Moroney when he won the Derby, but has since returned to the Moroney Matamata stable to prepare for the group one Zabeel Classic (2000m) and later the $2 million New Zealand Derby and $A1.3 million AJC Australian Derby.
Michael Coleman rode Monaco Consul in an exhibition gallop between races at Ellerslie on Sunday and was impressed with his effort.
Paul Moroney said the gallop gave him some experience of the Ellerslie track, which can be tricky for some horses.
Victorian jockey Michael Rodd has been engaged for Sydney sprinter Gold Trail in the $200,000 Railway Stakes (1200m) on New Year's Day.
