Racing: Electric Kiwi much fitter now

By MICHAEL GUERIN

Don't let Electric Kiwi's failure at Addington last Thursday put you off supporting her in tonight's $200,000 Pick6.

After two weeks of the Friday night Pick6 proving too tough for punters the harness racing season will end with a $200,000 guaranteed pool tonight.

And former northern mare Electric Kiwi could be a key player, even though she finished only eighth when she returned to racing last week.

"Forget that run, it was almost a second trials outing this campaign for her," said trainer Doug Gale.

While Electric Kiwi was at the track to win last week, Gale admits the mare was still on the way up.

"We took her to the trials down there two weeks ago and they ended up running a time about 10 seconds slower than what I would usually work her at home. So it was pointless taking her to another trial. She needed racing to get her fit so we had to start her last week even though I knew she would struggle to win."

That was the case as the former age group star blew out in the closing stages, according to driver Nigel McGrath.

"But she will be a lot fitter for that and this week's conditions suit her better."

Electric Kiwi will not have to clash tonight with classy intermediate grade opponents such as John Stewart and Final Ridge, who easily beat her home last week, and will also be suited by the 1950m, as many of her best performances have been over sprint distances.

While she has drawn wide under the preferential barrier draw conditions, she has a potent spring when saved for one run off a hot pace so may not be overly disadvantaged by her starting position.

"She will definitely be fitter than last week and the conditions do suit a lot more," said Gale, who runs a two-stable operation in Helensville and Canterbury.

"But I don't really know enough about her opposition to accurately judge how good they are and whether she can beat them at this stage."

There is little doubting Electric Kiwi would deal to tonight's opposition if she was at her peak and that tempo of the race suited.

She is not Gale's only winning chance in Pick6 though, with the talented Polly Jaccka looking for back-to-back wins.

The filly led throughout in a standing start race last week but steps well up in class tonight.

Gale says the filly is still on the way up so may not be ideally suited to the 2600m but that the mobile start will be an advantage.

"She showed high enough gate speed to lead some top fillies, like Angela Jane, in a filly's race at the New Zealand Cup meeting so the mobile will suit.

"She is a very speedy filly and one I think will win a few more races yet."

Gale says while his South Island stable is still a fraction of the size of his main training outlet, he is hoping to develop it further in the new season.

"The main reason I set it up was so when I travelled my better horses down south to their better races they wouldn't suffer from culture shock. We work them the same and they get fed the same so that is a big help."