The Tale of Two Cities

The two promising trotting sisters, Empire City (Volstead) and Atlantic City (Volstead) are back in work with Oamaru harness racing trainer Phil Williamson.

Empire City won four of her eleven starts last season including the G2 Sires’ Stakes Three Year Old Fillies Classique, G2 Sires’ Stakes Three Year Old Trotters Championship and the G3 Northern Trotting Derby.

At the end of her three year old season she raced against Australian freak trotting filly Keayang Zahara and was eight lengths astern of her in the New Zealand Trotting Derby.

“We would have won the Derby by five lengths if it wasn’t for Keayang Zahara (laughter). As a two and three year old she did a bit of racing and never had a chance to have a good let down so we gave her a good spell with Debbie and Mark (Smith). She’s had six weeks jogging and has just begun fast work,” Williamson said.

He notes that Empire City owned by Peter and Janet Argus, has strengthened up since her break.

“She seems great and we’ll race her when she’s ready. She’s an R79 horse so she’ll have to race the open class horses or pretty close to it. To come back into the open class scene is brutal and they need to be well rounded if you want to compete. She’ll probably need a race or two to get her hardened to see if we can live with them.”

Williamson says he’s encouraged by the increase in the number of races for aged mares.

“We will probably try and target them if we can get wee carnivals. It’s a long way to go to Auckland unless you can get three or four starts.”

Empire City’s full sister Atlantic City is also back on the active list after racing competitively last season as a two year old.

She won two of her five starts including the G2 Sires’ Stakes Three Year Old Fillies Classique.

“She had the same amount of time off as Empire City. She’s a big filly for her age and perhaps trained off at the end of her prep. She was pretty good when she first hit the races.”

Williamson says Atlantic City will target all the three year old fillies trotting races.

The Argus’s also have a two year out gelding by What The Hill out of Liberty City, making him a half to Empire City and Atlantic City.

“He’s massive in terms of height and probably doesn’t have the strength the other two girls had. He’s probably going to be up against it racing at two. We’re working him down and he’s got some ability there.”

Meanwhile Williamson’s former Rowe Cup winner Love N The Port (Love You) is back in work after last racing in the New Zealand Trotting Free For All in November.

“We found a little issue in the leg. We’ve worked on that and we gave him a good break. He was going a bit rough in the straights. He’s been a bit like that his whole career but you’re more exposed to it at the high level. We’ve given him a good break and we’re hoping we can get him back to his very best and if we can, he’ll be pretty competitive I think.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink