Horse racing: Meteor may not strike, but Telfer has a galaxy of hope

Steve Telfer realises he may not win tonight’s $200,000 Harness Million with Alta Meteor

Steve Telfer realises he may not win tomorrow night’s $200,000 Harness Million with Alta Meteor but there is nothing surer than Telfer is going to win his share of battles this weekend.

The South Auckland trainer, winner of last season’s premiership and head of the now Telfer/Cullen stable, has a hand in many of the major fights of the huge harness racing weekend, starting at Cambridge tomorrow night.

Not only does he have Alta Meteor as a serious winning chance in the Three-Year-Old male sales race but hours later B D Joe and Alta Wiseguy in the Newcastle Mile in NSW, the winner qualifying for the A$1 million Miracle Mile on March 4.

Telfer then has Kahlua Flybye as favourite in her heat of the NSW Oaks at Menangle tomorrow night while on Sunday he and Stonewall Stud boss Steve Stockman will starts their yearling sales week attack at Karaka, with the operation certain to have a mammoth impact over the four days of sales which move to Canterbury on Monday.

“It is a busy time but an exciting one,” says Telfer. “I couldn’t be happier with the horses, both here and in Australia and the sales are something we look forward to every year and I’m confident we will be bringing some good stock home.”

But tonight’s $200,000 Harness Million is the biggest drawcard for New Zealand punters, even with unbeaten filly Millwood Nike making her first appearance for the season half an hour later.

Alta Meteor was a brave third in last week’s lead-up race won in all-the-way fashion by Son Of Mac over the fast-finishing Merlin.

Tonight’s 2200m race is evenly divided with Alta Meteor, Charlie Brown, With Style and Son Of Mac drawn on the front and likely to sort themselves out over the first 600m while Merlin, Sherlock and Sinbad watch and wait for their chance to move into the race.

“Our horse is really well and the first plan with him will be to try and lead but a few others may be thinking the same thing,” says Telfer. “If he races well this week he is off to the NSW Derby heats next week so we expect him to go well as he needed last week’s race and will improve.”

Those sentiments are also shared by the trainers of Son Of Mac, Charlie Brown and Merlin, with Barry Purdon saying the latter has come on since last Thursday and they are hoping for a genuine tempo.

Sherlock was the huge late season improver last term and won well at the Pukekohe workouts last weekend but barrier one on the second line means he will likely need both a strong tempo and some luck.

Luck shouldn’t be a factor for Millwood Nike who has had the recent trials grounding to remain unbeaten in an underwhelming $150,000 fillies’ pace.

But tonight’s main trot for the mares is a beauty, a tricky big-field handicap with the two favourites off the 40m backmark.