Pukekohe harness racing trainer Ray Green is always active at the yearling sales each year but is never a buyer of big numbers.
This year he brought just seven yearlings at both of the sales but the small numbers he bought hasn't stopped Ray having three of them line up in the first two year old race of the season at Alexandra Park tonight.
Ray has had a great run in the last few years with his sales purchasers and is probably the only trainer in New Zealand to have a strike rate similar to Mark Purdon with his yearlings.
The three that are lining up tonight have impressed Ray right from the start and when we talked to Ray over three months ago, he signaled that these three that are starting tonight were his most likely starters in the Young Guns series that begins shortly.
Ray finds it very difficult to rate his juveniles in any particular order.
" The three of them are all lovely two year olds and all have big futures in front of them."
" At this stage they are all on the improve and which one ends up the best is anyone's guess."
"Spring Campaign is the most natural two year old of the three racing tonight."
" As soon as he steps onto the track he is all business and knows what he is there for."
" The other two still have a few rough edges but lack nothing in ability and all three are equally capable of winning tonight," Ray said.
Ray has more two year olds not that far away from the track as well.
" I have a fair bit of time for an American Ideal half brother to Sky Major called Sky Diamond who goes really well."
"A couple of the homebred two year old fillies have also shown plenty to date including the full sister to Sir Lincoln in Lincolns Superstar," Ray said.
With the way Ray season after season produces those elite level two year olds, it would be no surprise if he trifected the two year old race tonight.
Harnesslink Media