Mongolian Storm can win the Sapling Stakes

This Saturday's Sapling Stakes at Ashburton Raceway may have only drawn a field of six runners but there is plenty of harness racing talent on show and labelling a winner is not that straight forward.

The All Star barn have three runners engaged including the horse many consider the one to beat in More The Better.

More The Better was super impressive last week in working during the running and still having too much in the tank in the straight.

Driver Tim Williams was thrilled with the effort as he thought the son of Bettor's Delight was a run short going into last weeks race and would be a better horse this week.

" He needed that run last week and should strip a much fitter horse this week."

" His work this week has been excellent and I think he will be very hard to beat," Tim told Harnesslink today.

The stablemate Pacing Major who has only been beaten by a head in both his first two starts has drawn out at six which makes things difficult but Dexter Dunn takes the drive so he has to be a major player here.

The third of the All Stars runners is the $200,000 yearling sales purchase in You Gotta Have Faith who has drawn barrier one and will have the services of stable reinsman, Matt Anderson.

On his trial efforts to date he has shown enough to be a serious place chance but both the other stablemates look more forward at this stage.

So the All Stars barn looks very capable of winning another Sapling Stakes but we think that the Paul Court trained Mongolian Storm can upset the All Stars trio on debut.

A $16,000 purchase at last years New Zealand Premier Yearling Sale at Christchurch, Mongolian Storm has had a thorough grounding leading into the Sapling Stakes, winning his last four trials and workouts in some style.

The son of Courage Under Fire was super impressive in his latest trial win at Addington last Monday, swooping past the competition in a few strides when driver Blair Orange asked him for an effort at the top of the straight.

Mongolian Storm has drawn beautifully at barrier two and with that speed he displayed on Monday, he becomes the horse to beat in our opinion.

Trainer Paul Court is really looking forward to Saturday and seeing how his charge measures up.

" He is a lovely horse and I think he will go a big race on Saturday."

" I am just not sure he is ready to run 1:55 at this stage which they may go on Saturday but he is capable of winning the Sapling Stakes with a run to suit."

" I haven't really asked him to run time as yet but I think this race will really bring him on in that respect with a view to the future," Paul said.

Paul has been having a dream debut season training on his own account with his barn having two high class two year olds to represent him.

Mongolian Hero put in a huge effort for a close third behind More The Better and Pacing Major at Addington last Friday and looms as a major player in all the major two year old races later in the season.

He will head back to Auckland for the Young Gun Series early next week while after Saturday, Mongolian Storm will remain in the South Island to target the Kindergarten Stakes and Sires Stakes heats.

" I want to keep them apart at this stage for their own benefit,"

" I am really excited by having two juveniles as good as these two in the barn in my first year training on my own account."

" I know how hard it is to get one two year old of this quality so to have  two in the barn is a big thrill," Paul told Harnesslink this afternoon.

Whatever the outcome of the Sapling Stakes this weekend, one thing you can be sure of going forward is that Mongolian Storm and Mongolian Hero are are going to be serious players when the juvenile classics are decided over the next four months.

Harnesslink Media