Top pacer off to Queensland

Much-loved Kiwi pacer A G’s White Socks (Rock N Roll Heaven) is about to start the next phase of his harness racing career.

The eight-year-old was sent to Team McCarthy’s Menangle stables following his excellent fourth in the Auckland Cup on May 27.

Co-trainer Luke McCarthy said A G’s White Socks had settled in well and would join the big team of horses he and wife, Belinda, have campaigning in Queensland from next week.

“He worked well this morning (Thursday), he’ll have another piece of work here Saturday and I’ll take him up to Queensland next week,” he said.

“He’s been racing over there and Greg (Hope) said he’s a horse who doesn’t need much work, so he’s pretty much ready to go.

“He could race next week or the week after.”

McCarthy was blunt when asked how he thinks A G’s White Socks will measure up in the best Queensland feature races.

“On his form, he’ll be right up with the best of them,” he said.

“It’s such a buzz to have a horse like him join the stable.”

But McCarthy stopped short of committing to driving A G’s White Socks given the depth in the stable’s open-class ranks.

They also have Spirit Of St Louis (Sweet Lou), Mach Shard (Mach Three) and Jilliby Kung Fu (Four Starzzz Shark) in Queensland preparing for races like the Sunshine Sprint and Blacks A Fake.

Mach Shard has been a revelation in recent weeks and McCarthy credits a successful operation on his foot more than a year ago.

“Remember he had those two runs for us and went well, but he just wasn’t quite right,” he said.

“We had an MRI done and it showed a hairline fracture in the navicular bone in the foot.

“It took 12 months to get him back, but he’s sound as a bell now.”

Mach Shard has turned plenty of heads winning his past two Albion Park runs from 20m handicaps.

“You’d have to say he’s racing as well as ever,” McCarthy said. “The sectional times he’s been running and the way he’s been doing it tell me he can win a race like the Sunshine Sprint or Blacks A Fake with the right run.

“He’ll go to the Lucky Creed next week and then the Redcliffe Cup a week after that.”

Spirit Of St Louis will follow last Friday’s impressive Albion Park trial win with another trial today (Friday).

“He’ll be ready to race after this trial, whether it’s next week or the week after is the question,” McCarthy said.

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing New Zealand