Greased Lightnin aiming to go three in a row

Learning curves don’t come much steeper than the one Greased Lightnin (Vincent) finds himself on at Alexandra Park tonight.

But harness racing co-trainer Scott Phelan says he wouldn’t be surprised if the three-year-old keeps on winning and reveals himself as a Derby contender.

Greased Lightnin contests the opener, the appropriately named Purdon and Phelan – ATC Leading Trainers Mobile Pace (6.15pm), on a short and sharp night at Alexandra Park and he finds himself being fast forwarded into intermediate grade.

As can sometimes happen at Alexandra Park Greased Lightnin has come from a maiden race two starts ago to tonight taking on horses like his own stablemate Invisible, who a few starts ago was racing Miracle Mile runner-up Sooner The Better and Jolimont in a $100,000 open race.

Phelan, who trains in partnership with the legend Barry Purdon, says while the two stable reps are coming in with vastly different form lines he can’t choose between them.

“We all know Invisible can mix it with those better horses and he can win this week if he shows his best,” says Phelan.

“But I am not sure Greased Lightnin is any inferior ability wise.

“Sure he is younger and still improving but he has real ability and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in some of the big races over the next few months.

“So while it is a big step up this week we wouldn’t be stunned if he won again.”

If Greased Lightnin can make it three wins on end it could set up a family double as his older half sister Ultimate Racy Girl also finds herself in a race she can win, Race 4 – the Woodlands Stud ’25 Yearling Draft Junior Mobile Pace.

She had her highs and lows in the second half of last season but is better than the grade she finds herself in tonight.

While the Purdon/Phelan team has a small but important hand at tonight’s meeting two of their stable stars start their Sydney campaigns at Menangle tomorrow night.

Sooner The Better returns against a genuinely top class local in Captains Knock at Menangle as he works his way toward the Miracle Mile, which has automatic qualifiers in two weeks.

“He is really well and will go a good race but he will also improve with this week,” says Phelan.

Better Knuckle Up makes his Australian debut in the $50,000 Hondo Grattan Stakes, which is a qualifier for the Chariots of Fire on March 1.

He meets NZ Derby winner We Walk By Faith and a strong bunch of Australian four-year-olds and faces the Menangle fresh up curse, with the big mile track notoriously difficult for New Zealand horses to win their first start on, particularly in a Group-level mile.

The stable star Merlin will bypass tomorrow’s meeting and resume at Menangle next week as he also looks to qualify for the Miracle Mile via the lead up races on March 1.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Michael Guerin, for Harness Racing New Zealand