Douglas team with eyes on winter series

Jeremy Douglas has an eye on next week’s Winter Reward Series with the harness racing team he starts at Ascot Park on Friday (Jul. 1).

Douglas lines up Magic Sign (Terror To Love), Macandrew Navigator (Sir Lincoln) and Minnie McGoogan (Pegasus Spur) who will get plenty of attention from punters while they try to boost their chances of sealing starts in the $20,000 Winter Reward Series Finals at Wyndham Thursday.

Magic Sign has impressed in all three of his runs since moving south from Canterbury to join the Ascot Park trainer’s team.

The pacer has copped tricky draws in two of those runs and has been handed another in barrier 11 in race 5 on Friday.

But Douglas is hopeful the gate could pan out well for the four-year-old and driver Kerryn Tomlinson.

“The way he races, he has got to be saved for one run.”

“I think he can get a pretty good drag into it, Mary Austin (barrier 10) should drag him forward at the right time.”

“It is all about getting him ready for next week and anything he gets on Friday is a bonus.”

Macandrew Navigator comes into race 9 after running a strong race for second in his first start out of maidens.

Douglas thinks the pacer will benefit from Friday’s race but is forward enough to figure in the finish.

“I gave him a bit of time off and he got very fat, very fast.”

“Come Christmas time, I think he will be a pretty good Country Cups horse.”

“He will need a good run to polish him off for next week.”

“If he gets a drag into it he will be competitive, he is not forward enough to go out three-wide and making his own luck.”

“But in a week’s time that is what he might have to do.”

Oliver Kite takes the reins behind Macandrew Navigator.

Minnie McGoogan steps out for the first time in the Douglas stable colours in race 9.

Though the trotter galloped in a trial last week her trainer is not concerned about that performance.

“It certainly wasn’t her fault, one galloped in front of her and came straight back in her face.”

“She was travelling too well to get off its back.”

“That bit doesn’t worry me one little bit.”

“She has got a lot of speed, but she isn’t very tough and she doesn’t have a lot of ringcraft about her yet.”

“I think some of the other horses might be a bit tough for her and they will know a bit more than she will.”

“But she has incredibly high speed if she happened to get a cushy run.”

Matthew Williamson takes the drive behind Minnie McGoogan.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Jonny Turner, for Harness Racing New Zealand