Weights should favour Come Fly With Me

Stephen Blair-Edie
Stephen Blair-Edie
The peaceful surrounds of Birchwood Station in Western Southland have helped trainer Stephen Blair-Edie get his  team  in top order for Southland’s most popular race day.

Blair-Edie will bring seven horses from his picturesque 1800ha slice of paradise to the hustle and bustle of Ascot Park’s Christmas at the races meeting, which could draw up to 7000  people  tomorrow.

Those wanting to have a flutter could do much worse than backing Blair-Edie’s stable star, Come Fly With Me, in race 7. His mare, the winner of 10 races, comes into  the feature middle-distance test (2150m) on the back of a hard-fighting second behind Patrick Erin at Cromwell earlier this month.

A repeat of that effort would make her very hard to beat tomorrow. But Blair-Edie’s confidence levels will go to another level if the noted front-runner found the lead  with Lee Callaway aboard.

"She is drawn 8 so, it will depend on the other riders," he said.

Come Fly With Me looks well weighted to win as her main rival, Gallant Boy, must give away a 5kg advantage to the mare.

Wild Jack,  in race 4, is also in career-best form.

"He was very well in work yesterday morning. He has hit his straps now that he has strengthened up."

The horse also ran second to a Brian and Shane Anderton-trained runner when narrowly defeated by Raise You Ten at Cromwell.

Get Rhythm, another last-start runner-up for Blair-Edie,  is  in a rating 65 sprint, race 5. The horse hit the line with purpose in his last start at  Ascot Park, his first  sign of form in three starts.

"He has always had it there. We just had to get him educated. He is a very busy horse."

Blair-Edie also lines up Waimate Bill, who was  unlucky when blocked for room at Cromwell, in race 10.

The Quiet Man (race 1), He’s Mi Brother  (race 5) and Nesta  (race 8) are the trainer’s other runners.  The open sprint, race 6, features North Island raider Darci Mac. The Allan Sharrock-trained mare will clash with Otago star Coulee. 

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