A race designed to showcase the lesser lights of harness racing may help further illuminate one of its new stars at Addington tomorrow night.
The $40,000 Harness 7000 is a great concept, the race restricted to the stock of stallions who stood at $7000 or less at conception, meaning itisn't open to those by all-time stallion great Bettors Delight or others close to him in the market.
The stock of Always B Miki wouldn't make the cut at his current service fee either but they do for the crop that includes Aardie's Express, which is how the exciting filly makes it into the 1980m mobile, albeit from the widest draw.
She thrashed glamour filly True Fantasy last Friday in the style of a potential star and co-trainer Steve Telfer says the race could hardly suit better.
"It is a great race for a filly as good as her under the unique conditions and she is tough enough to keep going forward and make the most of it," says Telfer.
The premiership-leading trainer and his two-island operation also have Allamericanlover returning in race six and he says he isn't as concerned as he would usually be about her 30m handicap fresh-up.
"She is a very fast beginner from a stand so I am hoping she can make plenty of that up early and she is a good mare who is only getting better," says Telfer.
Telfer is also hoping manners aid Alta Wiseguy when the impressive last-start winner clashes with Akuta and Krug in the harness race of the weekend, the Hannon Memorial at Oamaru on Sunday.
Alta Wiseguy was brilliant at Addington last Friday and if he can clear the comeback horses early in the 2600m he has options to stay in front or hand up and trail one of the favourites, hoping his superior fitness helps him swoop home late.
"He is a horse in a good space but he will need to be as it is a good field."
