Rata, who brilliantly won the group 2 Grand Duchess Mares Trot at Addington last month, looks the more reliable of Gay McClymont’s two runners in the group 2 David Moss at Ascot Park today. PHOTO: HRNZ
With a wave of Canterbury raiders attacking the feature races on the South's big day, McClymont holds some of the biggest hopes of a Southland victory.
Rata and Styrax head to the Brendan Franks Farrier David Moss Trot with one mission in mind, taking advantage of their front-line draws and running their rivals ragged.
Styrax is on an eight-day backup following her powerful lower-grade win at Winton last week, but it is not something McClymont is worried about at all.
"She ties up if she has days off. She is a funny old thing," the trainer said.
"She can have one day off but that is about it.
"I lost most of the season last season with it. We could never get the right pattern with her.
"And we could never really get to the bottom of exactly what the issue was.
"She seems to thrive on the racing,'' McClymont said.
"She is coming from her recent runs and she barely even blows.
"Even the swabbing stewards notice. She barely looks like she's had a race, so backing up won't worry her."
Both possess big, powerful motors, but so far Rata has the edge in being the more reliable of the two McClymont-trained trotters.
Styrax has galloped away in two of her three latest standing starts, but one of those errors came after a false start.
Rata has not missed a beat recently, stringing together outstanding form before brilliantly winning the group 2 Grand Duchess Mares Trot at Addington last month.
The big sister of the trotting duo comes into Ascot Park in a contrasting situation, being freshened since her last-start win.
McClymont just hopes Rata is not too fresh.
"She has had a freshen-up since Addington. They both worked at Gore [on Tuesday] and they worked quite well."
"They'll have a couple of quieter days now.
"Rata is usually the sensible one, but because she is fresh she can throw her head about and you just hope she will be able to step away.
"But to be fair, she is generally reasonably safe."
If McClymont can do Southland proud on one of its biggest days, it will continue a run of spring form the trainer is already describing as unbelievable.
"It has been a wee bit unbelievable.
"You don't get your hopes up because you win a few but you lose a lot.
"It has been pretty special."
