Royal Bengal Orange's best

Canterbury driver Blair Orange has a strong book of seven drives at Forbury Park tonight. Photo by Matt Smith.
Canterbury driver Blair Orange has a strong book of seven drives at Forbury Park tonight. Photo by Matt Smith.
As with any Forbury Park meeting, punters are met tonight with the task of wading through the perfect storm that is the mix of recent Southland, Otago and Canterbury race form.

Leading driver Blair Orange has drives for stables from across the South Island and could send home happy connections to all three provinces.

Orange rates Southland trainer Robin Swain's Royal Bengal his best chance.

''Just looking at what it has done at the trials and workouts you would expect him to do a bit.'' Orange said.

The Christian Cullen 3yr-old won a Gore qualifying trial in August that has proved to be a strong form reference.

Mach's Back and Susies Desire, the two horses he defeated, have both since won on race day.

Orange went to his home base in Canterbury where he works with Ken and Tony Barron for his next-best winning show.

The brothers line-up Tortured Genius, a 3yr-old filly by Roll With Joe, a full brother to siring champion Bettor's Delight.

Like his daughter, the sire is searching for his first New Zealand race win.

Despite drawing the outside of the mobile, and only placing in one of four trials and workout runs, Orange expects a strong showing from his charge.

''Probably in that field she can make her own luck.''

''She's a nice maiden that lacks a touch of speed.''

Orange's best shot at producing an Otago-based winner comes in race 7 for trainer Amber Hoffman. After drawing barrier 1 in a race restricted to largely out-of-form horses, Quick Nick gets a prime chance to grab a win.

''It's a big help actually, drawing barrier 1. He's sort of been going all right without winning but just from the draw he's going to get his chance.''

Orange and Hoffman combine in race 3 with Delightful Jay, whose breeding will catch the eye of most punters. The 4yr-old mare is a Bettor's Delight half-sister to Hoffman's former stable star New Years Jay.

Hoffman described Delightful Jay as a big horse who showed some scope and would progress further in time. ''When driven with a sit she goes all right. The sister was like that,'' Hoffman said.

Punters should be cautious of Delightful Jay's lack of race-day standing start practice. The mare was originally aimed at a mobile race, but that did not eventuate, Hoffman said.

The Waikouaiti trainer also lines up Vixenlyz and Keep It Simple in a three-pronged attack on race 3. Hoffman's former training partner, the now Canterbury-based Jonny Cox, drives Keep It Simple, and Rock Stock and Barrel for Hoffman in race 5.

Cox also pilots Franco Saxon and Gotta Classie Girl from his own barn and Bono Hest for Forbury Park trainer Ray Hanson.

Cox rates Rock Stock N Barrel his best winning chance.

''Amber quite likes her, so going by that she has got to be thereabouts and she's got a handy enough draw.'' he said.

In what further complicates the Forbury Park puzzle, Cox's best chance of a training win rests with Hoffman's Quick Nick, who is drawn in front of Franco Nixon, who starts from one on the second row of the mobile in race 7.

''It's kind of the perfect draw for him first-up. He isn't going to do a lot of work but he is going to have to rely on a lot of luck.'' Cox said.

-By Jonny Turner

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