Harness racing: In-form Matty White has firepower to overcome tricky draws at The Park

Iron Mike Tyson overcame a hard run to win at Cambridge last start. Photo / Angelique Bridson

Matty White has the right horses in the right races with the wrong draws at Alexandra Park tonight.

But it will still be a surprise if the in-form trainer-driver doesn’t come away with at least one winner, as harness racing catches its breath after last Friday’s stunning night at Cambridge and waits for the Group 1s that lie ahead over the next three Fridays at The Park.

While tonight’s meeting may be a bit more sedate, it still hosts two pacing and three Metro series trotting heats, all having deep fields for their grades, while tonight also sees a rare early season 2-year-old trot race with competitive numbers.

White could win three of those races as he trains Black Beauty (Race 1, No 7) and Iron Mike Tyson (R3, No 8), as well as driving T K Supersonic (R4, No 7), who he is looking after for Canterbury trainer Malcolm Shinn.

Black Beauty flashed home in a very fast run 2200m at Cambridge last start but was aided by not doing any work on the markers as others were gassed.

But typical of the stock of Bettors Delight, she seems to have thrived on being asked to ascend to a new level and has worked better since.

“She has felt sharper since that fast-run race and while she is still learning, she is definitely up to these,” White said.

“But barrier seven makes it tricky with a few quick beginners inside her so she will need some luck.”

White sounds more confident about Iron Mike Tyson, who has won three of his last four and staged a huge recovery for fifth after an early gallop in the other, suggesting he is one of the more promising lower-grade pacers in the North Island.

“He is turning into a really nice horse,” he said.

“His manners are getting better and he has speed and can stay. There are some smart horses in his race and I thought Mako was good finishing fifth behind him last start, but I still think he can win again.”

White admits he was surprised to get T K Supersonic to look after for Shinn, who used to specialise in successful Alexandra Park raids with young pacers, often fillies.

“I didn’t even know Malcolm trained trotters but he has done a great job with this one,” he said.

“He has perfect manners for a young horse and I don’t have any concerns about him galloping but like a lot of these, he is still only learning what it is all about.

“His manners will take him a long way but I don’t really know how he will measure up as it is hard to get a line on the form in that race.”

That race contains last season’s Karaka yearling sales highest-priced trotter in Duke of Bourbon, who looks to have a touch of class and the manners to showcase that.

White will also partner a handy maiden trotter called Power Seeker in Race 9 but they meet two smart 3-year-olds in stablemate Somebody and southerner Kairo (R8, No 16), who finished fourth behind unbeaten trotter Our Col in her national record run at Cambridge last Friday.

It is a night with few standouts, the most obvious seemingly Sammy Lincoln (R5, No 7) who drops back to maidens after finishing third in strong Sires’ Stakes company last Friday, although Sammy has his own unique bag of tricks.

And Final Approach (R2, No 8) looks certain to go further in life than most he meets tonight but does have the widest draw, with the potential for key rival Bravehearthighlander to get the perfect trailing run.

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.