Our Col’s only public outing since was in a workout before the races at Alexandra Park on March 13, when she trotted the 2200m standing start (tonight’s conditions) in 2m 46.8s, inside the national record for a 3-year-old filly.
That record won’t count because it was only a workout but to make it even more impressive, Our Col did it solo, after her only rival galloped and she trotted her last 800m in 57.2s.
“She is a good filly,” Herlihy said.
“She has always had something about her and in that workout, that was about as slow as I could make her go, it almost felt cruel making her go that slow, even though she was by herself.
“I really like her and we are aiming her at the best 3-year-old races over the next few months.”
Our Col is already the favourite for the Northern Trotting Derby on May 1 and after that workout two weeks ago, only a blip in her manners tonight could seem enough to beat her.
“Her manners have been very good so lets hope they stays that way on Friday.”
Herlihy also takes a handy maiden pacer in Mr Putt (Race 3, No 10) to The Park tonight and says while he shouldn’t be a maiden for long, tonight’s field has enough depth to makes his second-line draw a challenge.
Our most successful-ever domestic reinsman starts the night with a good winning hope in Race 1, after Mako was only run down late over 2200m after leading last start.
He drops back to 1700m tonight but has gate speed and rated 1m 55s on this track and distance in October when swooping, so has options tonight.
One of the other features of tonight’s meeting will be Higher Power trying to overcome a 30m back mark in Race 2, but the way he has been trotting in recent starts, he should be up to that task.
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.
