Is the Frith Stakes Trainor’s to take home again?

With five wins from seven starts for the harness racing stable, Ardens Delight (Bettors Delight) has quickly become one of Jack Trainor’s favourite pacers.

The former Kiwi mare, by boom sire Bettors Delight, will be out to add to that record again tonight at Tabcorp Park Menangle.

And again, Trainor might find himself looking at her from somewhere back in the field.

That’s because in-form reinsman Jack Callaghan will take the reins on Ardens Delight in tonight’s Club Menangle Frith Stakes (Race 6), while Trainor will be hoping for some luck first-up with one of his ‘other’ star mares Braeview Kelly.

This mare hasn’t raced since finishing fifth to Amore Vita in the rich Garrards The Golden Girl at Albion Park in July.

Yet Trainor fitted her for tonight’s run with a sound fourth to Swayzee in a trial at Menangle last week. And she did win last year’s Frith Stakes, so Trainor will be quietly confident he can again figure in the finish.

Regarded as something of a master with the mares, Trainor will actually have four starters in tonight’s mares’ feature, with Cameron Hart to drive polemarker Stellar Arden and stable foreman Jack Brown aboard B K Swy.

“It feels like half my whole team is in one race,” said Trainor.

“They’re all racing in really good form.

“Stellar Arden is really good when driven with a sit, as she showed last week.

“B K Swy is down in grade and raced well at Newcastle last week and is always a knock-out hope.

“This will be her last race before she heads for the breeding barn, so it would be nice to see her go out in a good way.

“And Ardens Delight showed a lot to hold them all off last week and although she is up in grade continues to improve.

“Braeview Kelly is probably my pinnacle mare and its good to have her back.

“She did everything she had to in the trial last week and seems to have trained on.

“She’s not at her absolute peak yet so is probably a bit vulnerable tonight.

“But having said that, there’s no doubt she is the class mare of the field.”

Trainor said he felt Braeview Kelly was also probably better off when driven with a sit.

“I think her best racing is being saved for one run and I would prefer to drive her like that.

“She’s there to win and I certainly wouldn’t write her off.”

For complete race entries, click here.

by Michael Court, for HRNSW