Racing: Spare A Fortune's trainer shrugs off right hand record

Spare A Fortune is yet to win a race on a right-handed track. Photo / NZPA

There is a worrying statistic around Spare A Fortune going into tomorrow's weight-for-age $70,000 Stella Artois Tauranga Stakes.

Only six of his 24 race starts have been on right-handed tracks and he has yet to win one going this way around.

Trainer Gary Hennessy says don't worry about that. "Even though all his six wins have been left-handed, that's been by accident really, we've never deliberately raced him left-handed."

One of Spare A Fortune's races right-handed was at Tauranga and he finished second.

On his spring form he should prove difficult to beat at weight-for-age where all runners are theoretically carrying the same weight.

Overall he has been lumping big weights. Last start he gave class mare Katie Lee 3kg and finished fourth less than one length behind.

At her best Katie Lee would be the $2 favourite here.

Spare A Fortune hasn't raced since that October 2 event, but Hennessy doesn't see that as an issue either.

"He went to the Te Aroha trials a week or so ago. He stayed all day and had a shiver and a shake, so that's brought him on a fair bit.

"His fitness level is pretty good."

Salvatore has been in the best form of his career for trainer Anne Herbert and he rates as the danger.

His Ellerslie 1400m win two starts back was a four-length victory over Altered Image, who was so impressive at Riccarton on Wednesday.

The most recent win at Ellerslie was at this 1600m distance - his first - where his previous best performances had been at 1400m.

Lady Chaparral is underrated and even though she would be better placed in the weights in a handicap than at weight-for-age, she rates highly. She gives the impression she will appreciate the improved track conditions.