Southern-bred horses have the chance to claim two classic race wins in less than 24 hours starting tonight.
Leading 3yr-old filly Bettor Joy will call on her tough southern genes to help her run out a strong 2700m in tonight’s group 1 Northern Oaks at Alexandra Park.
Tomorrow afternoon, Otago-bred galloper Civil Disobedience will do the same in the 2400m group 1New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie.
On pedigree, Bettor Joy looks almost certain to handle a strongly run trip over an extreme distance for her age and sex.
She is by champion sire and producer of super stayers Bettor’s Delight, from the famous bloodline of former Mosgiel breeder, the late Alex McDonald.
Bettor Joy is from his former tough racemare Joyfulbelle, who McDonald and her trainer, Clark Barron, bred fromafter her eight-win racing career under their Miracle Lodge banner.
After McDonald died in 2013, Barron made sure the bloodlines lived on, with the help of prominent owner Eric Parr.
With such a strong pedigree on her side, trainer Cran Dalgety cannot see why Bettor Joy will not run out tonight’s 2700m mobile event strongly.
‘‘Surely that good southern grass should come out in the last 200m,’’ Dalgety quipped.
Because of the way Bettor Joy relaxes in her races, Dalgety thinks the distance is a major plus for his horse.
‘‘She does relax. She is actually a little bit sleepy and docile, so the 2700m won’t worry her. It could be abenefit, rather than anything else.’’
Bettor Joy’s constitution is so good that hard racing does not knock the filly. In fact, she flourishes despite it.
‘‘The thing that has been a little bit of an issue is that she just gets away on usevery five minutes and puts on weight.
‘‘We actually gave her another workout on Sunday just to leave no dust in the pipes.’’
Starting from barrier 2 on the second row means Bettor Joy gives away amajor tactical advantage to her main rival, Elle Mac, who has barrier 5.
That could be enough for Elle Mac to turn the tables after her second placing when she had to sit parked outside Bettor Joy in last month’s yearling sales series final at Addington.
But the draw scenario is not something that fazes Dalgety.
‘‘In theory, it doesn’t look ideal, but I am not so worried because I would rather be there than on the outside of the front line and have to come back.’’
‘‘We may get a good run through, too.’’
Elle Mac’s stablemate Chase Auckland will put his unbeaten record on the line in tonight’s Northern Derby prelude.
It will be the first start for the winner of seven from seven since his tenacious win in the 3yr-old male yearling sales series final at Alexandra Park on New Year’s Eve.
Trainer Steven Reid is brimming with confidence for tonight’s free-for-all for aged pacers and he is expecting something special from Star Galleria.
The horse will race for the first time in two monthsafter winning the Waikato Flying Mile at Cambridge in January.
Star Galleria was hard-held running a 55.8sec last 800m in an Alexandra Park workout on Saturday behind race rivals Jack’s Legend and Raptors Flight.
‘‘I’m thinking he’s come back better again and lifted that little bit more,’’ Reid said.
‘‘He gave me such a feel on Sunday and he is getting better and better in himself all the time.’’
— additional reporting NZ Harness News.
