Southland horses look to have a better chance than ever to win the Southern Supremacy Stakes final at Ascot Park tomorrow.
Southlanders have won just one of the past 11 editions of their premierevent for 3yr-old male pacers.
But, Duke Of Wellington, Franco Santino, Mighty Conqueror and Kilowatt Kid look perfectly placed to fend off the race's northern raiders this year.
Their chances have been aided by the number one Canterbury challenger, The Bus, being handed a tricky inside of the second row draw.
The Lauren Pearson trained Duke Of Wellington heads the list of the local hopes on the back his remarkable recent progression.
The Winton 3yr-old has also been handed a second row draw, but Pearson is not concerned about that.
“I think the second-row draw is actually going to help him over the 2700 metres as he’s not going to have to work too hard early,’’ she told The Informant.
There is no disputing the big amounts of talent Franco Santino and Mighty Conqueror bring to tomorrow’s event.
But the pair have had just a handful of starts and do not have the advantage of consistent hard racing against top line 3yr-olds
Though there would be few surprises if one of the two Southerners won.
Kilowatt Kid heads the remainder of the Southern hopes and he is advantaged by drawing barrier 1.
Southlanders have a handy recent record in the group 2 Southland Oaks final thanks to wins by the likes of Beaudiene Bad Babe and Jumpforjoy.
This year’s Southern contingent lack the class those fillies, meaning a Canterbury win would not be much of a surprise.
Temuka filly Machitelli is a leading contender for the race despite having a terrible outside of the front line draw to contend with, and an unflattering form-line.
How to counter that tricky draw will be completely up to driver Stephen McNally, trainer Brent White said.
“It just makes that the wee bit harder, I have some found that if you make too many plans they come unstuck so it will be up to the driver.”
If luck was on her side, White thinks his filly can make her presence felt in tomorrow’s even Oaks line up.
‘’To be fair there are no big bangers in there, so everyone has a chance and in our case it depends on how much work we do or don’t do to get in the race at some stage.’’
Machitelli has not raced since last month, but has had two recent trials and went to the line untested behind boom 2yr-old, Jesse Duke, in the latest of them.
“Her trial two weeks ago was nice and her one last week, behind Jesse Duke, Stephen [McNally] was really happy with her,’’ White said.
Fellow Canterbury raider Dibaba brings a much more flattering form-line in to tomorrow’s Oaks, which should see her start one of the race’s favourites.
Her last-start win beating middle-grade pacers in a slick time at Addington puts her good stead for the event.
Southern hopes in the race are headed by the Paul Ellis trained Bettorthanbrie who has to contend with drawing one on the second row.
Tomorrow’s group 3 2yr-old event is headed by the Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen trained A Bettor Act, who is set to start a short-priced favourite.
