Fiery Bandito ends stressful day for Green

Southland harness racing driver Kirstin Green after experiencing travel delays in getting to Christchurch on Friday, then had the task of handling Fiery Bandito (Majestic Son) in the Airpark Canterbury Handicap Trot at Addington in the evening.

The giant trotter was checked out of his last start and isn’t the easiest of drives.

“The first bend was a bit tricky and a couple of times he put in a hitch but to be fair, after that he was pretty good and I didn’t think I was going to lose him. But when he’s getting that roll on you wouldn’t want to give him a slap on the bum,” Green said.

After sitting back on the five year old, Green elected to move forward with a lap to run.

“When they eased the pace he wasn’t concentrating that well. He’s better rolling and he’s got a big motor. I was happy to mooch up and sit parked but the top was there so I just pressed on and let him go at his own clip.”

At the end of the 2600 metre trip Fiery Bandito dug deep to hold out a late charge from Confessional to win his seventh race by three quarters of a length.

FIERY BANDITO REPLAY

“The last 50 metres up the straight when I started to drive him out a bit, he was actually okay. He felt quite safe. When I did ask him to do the job and stretch out he was good.”

Green certainly earned her driving fee, having to concentrate to keep the Fiery Bandito focused.

“For some reason he can be trotting beautifully and then get into a rolly gait. He’s always had that tendency but he normally gets better with racing. It was the same last year. When we took him up to Cup Week he blew to bits, ended up panicking and he couldn’t trot. Once we came home and started again he just got better and better.”

Fiery Bandito will now stay in Canterbury at Amber Letherby’s stable.

“He’ll stay with Amber and Ray (Jenkins). We had a coffee there this morning (Saturday) and there’s a Dominion rug and Trotting FFA rug hanging up so they know what they’re doing.”

The rugs belong to Tobago which took out the trotting double for Jenkins in 1989.

“It’s always good to get some outside eyes and they know what they’re doing.”

Just to get to the races on Friday proved a challenge for the Southland trainer driver after her flight in Invercargill was delayed before being cancelled.

“We drove to Queenstown to catch a flight and it was delayed forty minutes. It was a long stressful day.”

Green said Fiery Bandito will likely race at Addington again on Thursday before fronting up in the Canterbury Park Trotting Cup in which Muscle Mountain and Bet N Win are expected to start their quest for the Dominion.

“If he could manage a top three it would give us a spot in the Dominion. If it happens it happens. He needs racing and he’s in that grade, that’s where he’s got to be. Obviously you’d love to make the Dominion this year and it is a goal but if it doesn’t eventuate I think he’d definitely make it next year. He’s very lightly raced and everything we do this year will help him for next year.”

Later in the night Green drove Fernleigh Blackbird (He’s Watching) whom she also trains, to finish second behind Princess Meritaten in the Woodlands Stud Mares’ Sprint.

“I was absolutely thrilled with her and she went as good as she could go. I think Bob Butt’s mare (Princess Meritaten) is potentially a very good mare. She’s picked up two really good cheques (at Addington) and I think there’s another one of those races in another few weeks ($60,000 G2 Woodlands Stud Mares’ Spring Sprint Classic). She’s in the zone and it’d be nice to get a Group placing on her resume.”

FERNLEIGH BLACKBIRD REPLAY

Owned by Trevor and Linda Ryder, the five year old mare has now won seven races.

“I’d like to think she could win a nice mares race with a bit of luck going her way, but Trev is going to put her in foal this season so she’ll be a wee bit limited on where she can go.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink