Racing: Gold Ace to come up trumps

Gold Ace spearheads a strong Kiwi attack on feature races across the Ditch this weekend. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Gold Ace is getting so good he has trainer Steven Reid worried heading into tonight's heats of the Victoria Derby.

The star 3-year-old headlines a huge New Zealand assault on Victoria this weekend, with eight Kiwis spread over two nights, chasing either major wins or berths in even richer targets next week.

Gold Ace, who races as The Gold Ace in Australia, is the $2.10 favourite to win his heat of the Derby at Melton tonight leading into the A$200,000 classic next Saturday.

Matt Maguire, Our Major Mark and Empyrean, who will race in Australia under the name Empirific, also contest Derby heats, while I Can Doosit is the $1.80 favourite in his heat of the Australasian Trot Champs at Ballarat tomorrow night.

Also on that card are Stunin Cullen, The Sleepy Tripp and Power Of Tara who tackle the A$125,000 Ballarat Cup.

I Can Doosit looks the most likely Kiwi victor of the weekend after winning the Cochrane Cup last Saturday and drawing well in the weaker trot heat tomorrow night.

But Gold Ace looks the best Kiwi bet as he could well start better than even money in a weak Derby heat tonight.

He has proved himself a 3-year-old of class and courage with a series of feature-race wins here and looks the perfect pacer for Australia as he can race tough and likes the speed on.

So why is trainer Reid concerned? Because Gold Ace worked almost too well on Monday.

After an easy trials victory over Empyrean last week, Reid only asked Gold Ace to cruise over 2400m in 3m 14s at the Pukekohe track on Monday and the colt had stopped puffing before he returned to his stables alongside the track.

"He did it so easily I am worried it might not be enough to have him close to his peak," said Reid.

"I didn't want a hard run but it was ridiculous how easily he paced the 2400m. He just jogged it.

"I am hoping with the plane trip [Wednesday] he will tighten up more and that I haven't left him short of fitness.

"But the other way of looking at it is maybe he is such a good horse now normal workouts don't bother him anymore."

Even a few per cent below peak Gold Ace should win tonight as he should settle midfield on the outer and has the grounding to outstay his rivals.

Of the Kiwis tonight Empyrean faces the toughest task, recovering from a cold that cost punters dearly at Cambridge recently and drawn awkwardly in the first heat, which is strong.

Matt Maguire, in the second heat, is coming off the unruly and gets the one draw against Gold Ace which could be a disaster so punters could be wise to steer clear of him.

Our Major Mark meets two very talented Aussies in Excel Stride and Sushi Sushi in the last Derby heat but can win because Excel Stride hasn't shown great gate speed and if Our Major Mark can cross him at the start he will get the run of the race.

While I Can Doosit will be all the rage in his trotting heat at Ballarat tomorrow night, the Kiwi pacers in the Ballarat Cup are up against it.

Not only do they have tricky draws, apart from Power Of Tara who doesn't have the gate speed to use barrier four, but the two Aussie stars in the race look set to race handy.

Smoken Up opened a $1.75 favourite with bookmakers, after a brave win in the South Australia Cuptwo starts back and if he runs to the front the should win, especially as the big Ballarat track suits him.

Drawn inside him and likely to stalk Smoken Up though is Villagem, who after opening at $7 looks a great each-way bet as he made good ground after galloping away in the Shepparton Cup last week.

The race will be a huge test for Stunin Cullen, who is racing back at his best and is suited by the second-line draw but will still need a cart into the race while The Sleepy Tripp is drawn to go back at the start and be running on.

AUSSIE ASSAULT

* Eight New Zealanders take on the Aussies this weekend.
* Gold Ace headlines the Victoria Derby heats tonight.
* I Can Doosit should win his Trotting Champs heat at Ballarat tomorrow night.
* Three New Zealanders take on Smoken Up in the A$125,000 Ballarat Cup.