Racing: Hot Shoe Shuffle has to perform

It is time for Hot Shoe Shuffle to stop learning and start consistently winning.

That is how trainer Mike Berger views the big mare heading into the Breeders Cup at Alexandra Park tonight, in which Hot Shoe Shuffle will be a hot favourite for the event after beating similar opposition on this track seven nights ago.

Yet Berger knows a winning performance one week doesn't mean a repeat the next from Hot Shoe Shuffle this season.

The age-group star has been unusually inconsistent this season, being good enough to place at group one level, but being downed at minor meetings.

"I have to admit she has had a topsy-turvy season. It has been a head-scratcher," said Berger.

"But I think a lot of good young horses go through that at some stage of their career.

"They have a flat season and I think - I hope - this has been her one."

Berger believes the form slump often comes down to difficulty young horses face stepping up to the big time against rugged older pacers.

"I think they sometimes spend a season acquiring mental toughness and that has been the case with her.

"But I'd like her to stop acquiring it now and start winning more often."

A perfect example of Hot Shoe Shuffle's season has been her last three starts.

Three starts ago, at Cambridge, she sat parked and only went down late to Armbro Innocence, yet at her next start she battled into fifth at Alexandra Park.

Then, last Friday, she jogged home to beat several of her rivals tonight.

"I was very disappointed in her two start ago and had some blood tests done on her but she looked fine" explains Berger.

"But at least she bounced back last week. Then again, she had too because it was a big drop in class.

"I said to somebody before the race that if she didn't win they should sack the trainer.

"That is not the sort of thing you want to get into the habit of saying, but I almost feel the same this week.

"I think she is eventually going to end up being a top open class mare, so she should be able to win races like this."

Hot Shoe Shuffle does face a 30m handicap in tonight's $12,000 event but will have only seven rivals standing in front of her at the start.

And she is a 12-win mare, with the best of her rivals tonight being a four-race winner.

"I also think the standing start will be a big help tonight because she is very good from a stand whereas a few of her rivals tonight are unproven from the stand."

That should ensure Hot Shoe Shuffle settles not too far from the leaders, and with a few stayers in the race to ensure some mid-race moves, she should get the right cart into the event.

From there she should win, although taking her handicap and inconsistency this season into account, punters won't get value if they take less than a $2 dividend.

Of her opponents tonight Twice As Hot looks the most dangerous.

She disappointed slightly last Friday when outsprinted after trailing, but was second to outstanding stablemate Pullover Brown under these conditions two starts ago.

While Hot Shoe Shuffle is the racing star of the Berger stable, that should all change in the next month when Facta Non Verba makes a surprise return to the track.

The veteran pacer, who was placed in both the NZ and Auckland Cups this season, is being set for a Queensland campaign in August.

"He is about two weeks away from the workouts and is likely to head to Queensland at the end of the month," said Berger.

Facta Non Verba is likely to be accompanied to Queensland by enigmatic Central Districts pacer Mister D G and the pair will tackle the Sunshine Sprint and Winter Cup.

"At this stage I might leave him there until late September before bringing him home for the New Zealand Cup."

Hot and cold:

Hot Shoe Shuffle is the favourite for tonight's Breeders Cup at Alexandra Park.

The mare has been hard to follow this season but won last Friday.

She faces a 30m handicap, but has won three times as many races as her main rivals.

Her open class stablemate Facta Non Verba will race again soon.