Arcee Phoenix rises to the top

Chris Svanosio’s pre-race hope of ‘making a statement’ with Arcee Phoenix (Trixton) was realized after that horse ran his harness racing trotting rivals ragged in the Group 1 Aldebaran Park Maori Mile at Bendigo.

Svanosio urged Arcee Phoenix from a favorable front row draw and subsequently won the early battle for the lead over the $1.35 favorite Queen Elida who dropped in for the trail on the back of the leader.

Arcee Phoenix put a gap on his rivals around the home turn and was full of running in the home straight scoring by nine metres from Mufasa Metro with Queen Elida a metre away third.

Arcee Phoenix established a new race record of 1:53.8 for the flying mile.

Svanosio admitted he was quietly confident of victory prior to the race.

“There was always the hope those couple of horses that went to Queensland that is was going to be tough for them to travel back and I thought tonight was my night to try and beat them if I could,” Svanosio said.

Svanosio said he felt like he was travelling like a winner inside the final lap.

“I knew I had Queen Elida on my back and felt like a bit of an idiot down the back because I was just travelling that good l and I was thinking don’t underestimate the one on my back but he was travelling that good I had to let him go,” he said.

Svanosio was chuffed to win the first Group 1 of the season on his home track.

“I’ve grown up here and working horses around this track since I was 12 or 13 and you dream of winning good races here and it’s great to do it,” he said.

Arcee Phoenix will be aimed at the feature races in the coming weeks.

“There’s another good race in a couple of weeks before the Great Southern Star and there’s some possible races overseas later in the year,” he said.

“The Great Southern Star will he be harder again as Just Believe will be there along with the other top trotters, so my bloke is going to have to keep stepping up, – he has kept stepping up and improved so much.”

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink