A change in footwear might give Great Things Happen the extra edge he needs to take on his intermediate-grade rivals at Oamaru tomorrow.
The 3yr-old trotter has won his last two starts, but that is all the more impressive considering trainer-driver Gavin Smith and his farrier, Scott Laming, have been trying to find the perfect combination for his feet.
The son of Love You just held on at Timaru last Sunday, but Smith believes he and Laming have found the right shoes in time for this weekend.
''We've got the lightest steel shoe we can in behind now,'' Smith said.
''My farrier, Scott Laming, spent half an hour at the shoeing shop weighing them all and he's got a really light set now that he was a lot better in today, so I expect him to trot a lot better than he has.''
Smith changed Great Things Happen's shoes from aluminium to steel after the Harness Jewels in late May, but has had to change the sets several times since.
Smith was a lot happier with the gelding's gait before the Timaru meeting, but still not entirely happy. However, he did not want to go back to aluminium shoes as the 3yr-old was wearing them down quickly and damaging his feet.
The nature of the Timaru run - where Smith had to shoot around to the lead with 650m to go - also contributed to Great Things Happen just knocking off closer to the line.
''Because he was trotting rough, I thought I better get going even though I would probably would rather not have,'' he said.
''Once I got pushed four wide I had to push him pretty hard to get round them.
''I did expect him to tire but I think part of it was just knocking off, too, because he had been out lonely a bit.''
Great Things Happen's last to wins have come in the c1-c2 grade but he faces some hardened rivals tomorrow such as Zhenya, Live The Dream, King Of Strathfield and Valmagne.
They will have to give 20m to 40m starts to the youngster, who starts off the front line.`It's quite a big jump from the c1 and c2 trotting grade to the c3 and fasters but back off the front he won't have to do as much work anyway,'' Smith said.
''He should either be in front or near it instead of having to come round three or four wide. He should be competitive - he won't just line up and win - but he should be thereabouts.''
Smith also trains Finding Nemo, who will be driven by Matt Anderson in the junior drivers' race.
''He missed away last start, but he hasn't had much of a run with draws,'' Smith said.
''He's been getting a fair way back then hitting the line OK. He's still on the up but from that draw he's going to need a lot of luck.''
The best of Smith's outside drives could be the Noel Taylor-trained Sheza Trendy Monarch (race 5) who makes her c1 debut tomorrow after winning at Timaru on Sunday.
''Noel does a good job, so I'm sure it will acquit itself all right.''
