Star Trialists | Franklin 12th August

Last Friday at Franklin was a busy one with plenty of runners in Thursday night’s card at Alexandra Park having a hit out in preparation for the best harness racing meet of the Winter at the ”ribbon of light”.

Below we profile a few that caught the eye!

Kowhai Sunset (Creatine – Kowhai Sunrise) | Race 2

The former Mark Jones-trained trotter comes North to the powerful Wallis/Hackett barn, and if his first look at Franklin was anything to go by, he looks to have adapted well to his new surroundings.

KOWHAI SUNSET REPLAY

It’s easy to forget the three-year-old was competitive with the best of his age group at two. He sat parked for the entire mile in the 2YO Ruby at Cambridge and was only six lengths from Double Delight in a 1:58MR.

Safely away from his 30m mark, he got a cushy trip in transit on the back of the only other race winner, the Dave & Clare McGowan-trained Cruise Liner (Love You).

400m from home, he peeled out from the one-one, and while he was entitled to run past them, it oozed a little bit of class, stretching his neck and striding out without being urged.

Given his manners have not always been his strong suit, it was hard to fault his first public appearance right-handed.

First up at ”The Park” is always a risky prospect but could be hard to hold out in the 2nd race on the card should he do things right.

My Copy (Highview Tommy – Lively Nights) & Amazing Me (American Ideal – Splendour) | Race 3

My Copy was second in the same trial as Kahlua Flybye and did some work sitting parked for the last lap, only to be run down by a very smart one.

MY COPY REPLAY

He hasn’t raced since December, where he was a flashing second, coming from a hopeless position on the final bend to make up many lengths.

The half to the New Zealand Cup winner Copy That resumes Friday night and has a tricky barrier to overcome in one the second row.

He follows out another smart trialist in Amazing Me. The blue-blooded Telfer filly was every bit as good in her own heat last Friday at Franklin, if not better.

Her last 400m wasn’t quite as sharp, but she was some four seconds quicker in her qualifying trial and gets the plumb draw of one in her race day debut.

Aldebaran Pippi (Aldebaran Eagle – Petite’s legacy) | Race 4

She comes out of the same trial as Kowhai Sunset, and on paper, her fifth doesn’t jump out at you.

She sat in the trail and then three deep the pegs for the last lap. When peeled and ask for an effort, the motor we saw in her debut run was evident; however, the ring craft is still a work in progress.

The filly had to be restrained and, once safely in her gait, trotted the last 200m nicely, albeit under a solid grip suggesting she wanted to go a bit quicker than her pilot wanted.

Her first stand start in Race 4 at The Park, and she did throw a few fancy ones in her first look at the tapes last Friday at Franklin. She’s up against the older horses, and while the Ival Brownlee-trained Emily Bay (Majestic Son) may be the hardest to beat, this two-year-old filly is one worth following.

Kahlua Flybye (Bettor’s Delight – Ideal Flybye) & Rocknroll Hammer (A Rocknroll Dance – Twist and Twirl) | Race 5

While many will be excited to see the pacing pride of the North return on Thursday night, the two-year-old affair in Race 5 will arguably be the most hotly contested.

A stack of form is coming into this race for punters to unfurl, further complicated by two-thirds of the field trialling at Franklin last Friday.

The Steve & Amanda Telfer-trained two-year-old filly was arguably the most impressive performance of the day at Franklin last Friday, albeit in one of the slower times over the 2050m.

Unsighted since a strong second in the G2 Delightful Lady Classic, Kahlua Flybye sat one out-three back in the running line and unwound with a punishing burst to reel in the talented My Copy under a hold. The last 400m sectionals were 27.0, but she’s gone considerably better than that.

She will have to be good if she is to beat the Hollis-Robertson trio of colts or the likes of Treacherous Reign (Captaintreacherous), who went a cheeky trial in behind Rocknroll Hammer. The latter is a three-quarter in blood to King Of Swing and was impressive, winning on debut in June. He went the fastest time over the 2050m of any horse last Friday and beat another runner in the last start G2, winning filly, Forever Me (Sweet Lou).

Two more Telfer-trained runners were in the final heat at Franklin last Friday and were some six seconds quicker than Kahlua Flybye. DJ Rock (Rock N Roll Heaven) & Sweet Diamond (Sweet Lou) went to the line within half a length of each other. They follow one another out from barriers one and nine and look more than capable of going a cheeky race.

Temporale (Monarchy – Whosinthenest) | Race 6

The son of Monarchy was an honest third last Friday at Franklin, where he met three of his opposition for the feature trot on Thursday night.

The old campaigner showed back in June that he can give most of the field he meets a start, albeit over 2700m.

He will have to draw on all of his champion qualities to overcome 55m over 2200m, especially with the two mares who beat him last Friday at Franklin in form and lining up off the front.

The Vaughan and Peter Blanchard trained Ruby Ridge (Majestic Son) & Cyclone Lucky Linda (Father Patrick) were impressive in running the quinella in their workout and are two mares in form.

In saying that, Temporale begins so quickly from a stand that he should be able to gobble up his handicap reasonably quickly, but the Blanchard pair will no doubt give him plenty to chase in the feature trot on the card.

Miki Noel (Always B Miki – Clifton Christine) | Race 7 

He was very smart in his workout behind Rocknroll Hammer. The Always B Miki two-year-old finished hard on the back of the blue blood and, despite over racing in his first start-up in grade a fortnight ago, was an excellent second behind Perfect Bet (American Ideal).

He draws barrier 5 in the seventh on the card and will meet the likes of the talented Nicky Chilcott runner, Blazing Louie (Sweet Lou) but looks ready to rumble if his Franklin run was anything to go by.

Copy That (American Ideal – Lively Nights) | Race 8

Given how long the defending New Zealand Cup winner had been out with injury, he was pretty damn impressive in his second public appearance after eight months on the sidelines.

Copy That was three wide from the 500m mark and got the back Thursday night’s race rival, Old Town Road (Bettor’s Delight). Without any urging, the son of American Ideal was able to find the line nicely in what was likely another sub-26 final 400m given they went 26.2 off the front.

30m will not be an easy task fresh up on Friday night, complicated by the fact Copy That has never won in any of his three appearances with a 90+ day layoff.

He gives the classy Old Town Road 20m and Nelson’s Boy (Washington VC) 30m, with the latter sitting parked for most of the same trial and was never given his head by Crystal Hackett. Race hardened and fit, he could be hard to catch.

Horses to Follow

Lightning Baby (Bettor’s Delight – O Baby)

Ran a very cheeky trial behind Kahlua Flybye and My Copy coming from last at the 400m to run a really nice 4th, making ground on some pretty sharp closing sectionals.

The Barry Purdon & Scott Phelan trained two-year-old filly was out with the early juveniles in February & March and hasn’t been sighted since. She looks to have significantly benefitted from a spell and is one to keep an eye on when she lines up.

Eye Love You (Love You – Regal Petite)

Full disclosure on this one as I own the older half-sister, but she was pretty impressive in the hands of Derek Balle, going six seconds under qualifying time and running away by six lengths.

She’s been given time to fill into her large frame, and it seems to have worked wonders. She has a lovely long stride on her; however, she still has a few tricks up her sleeve, being placed off the unruly after skittling the field in the first effort to score up.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink