“We think he will be okay this week,” Wallis said, not entirely convincingly.
“Last start was his first time left-handed for a few months and he got too stirred up and wanted to race them off the gate.
“He is better right-handed at this stage of his career and if he steps away, I don’t see any reason he won’t perform to the same level he was in December.”
The last time Hillbilly Blues had a 2200m standing start at The Park to mirror tonight’s conditions, he won by five lengths – but that was when getting a 20m head start from Oscar Bonavena, who starts off the same mark as him tonight.
If that version of Hillbilly Blues turns up tonight and reaches the front, his $2.80 will feel luxurious.
As for Oscar Bonavena, he is one of New Zealand’s most-loved standardbreds but even trainer-driver Mark Purdon admits he doesn’t trust his old mate these days.
Oscar hasn’t actually won a race since a stunning grass-track victory in September and it is almost impossible to predict which version of him turns up.
He could turn back the clock and sweep to victory tonight, or finish midfield and return to the stabling block nonplussed.
At least at $4.80, you are getting a fair price for still loving this crazy uncle at the open-class trotting party.
Meant To Be illustrates how hard trust is to build as he has 10 wins and seven placings in 20 starts, but a couple of gallops early in her career had him labelled a hothead, when in fact his fragile mind was just trying to catch up to his athletic gifts.
He might be our next really good trotter but tonight is his first standing start and he finds himself sandwiched in the middle of the front line, a new and, for some, claustrophobic experience.
Co-trainer Scott Phelan thinks Meant To Be will handle his first look at the standing start tapes but that is more educated guesswork.
Punters may slowly be learning to trust Higher Power after a series of fast-time victories but it was only three months ago he threw away two races in three days at of all places Hāwera by galloping when in front as favourite.
He is far from the finished product but put him handy on the marker pegs tonight and he can trot 2200m as quick as most of these.
But this is not just a story of trust lost or not yet earned, as Greg and Ben Hope bring north Midnight Dash and Mr Love, two Mr Reliables from Canterbury, with Mr Love in form and yet to miss a place at Alexandra Park.
They could step fast, behave and keep on running while those around them don’t – and that would make Mr Love the horse to beat.
How to tackle tonight’s features
Race 6, Fisken And Sons Anzac Cup: Hillybilly Blues (No 2) is the best bet and the $3.50 available with TAB under the Box Seat Boost is overs.
Race 7, Dawson Harford Taylor Mile: Tricky race but Swayzee (No 8) at $4 will look great value if he runs to the front inside the first 600m.
Race 8, NZBS Harness Million Trot: Expect Kyvalley Ray to improve right-handed but Our Col (No 4) is very exciting so she still the one to beat.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
