Racing: Sprint sensation ripe to take on Telegraph

Stephen Autridge walked off Paeroa racecourse on Thursday convinced Keeninsky can win the $100,000 Telegraph Handicap at Trentham on January 22.

The Hamilton-based trainer has an enormous opinion of Keeninsky and the three-year-old scored an easy one length barrier trial victory over reigning Horse of the Year King's Chapel.

"It was only a year ago to this date that Keeninsky was taken by me to the Paeroa trials as a two-year-old and he threw Allan Peard [jockey] and got away from the attendants," said Autridge.

"He had to go around in another two-year-old heat on that day. It's scary when you look back and think a year ago he was a maiden two-year-old and now I'm getting him ready to take on the best sprinters in New Zealand.

"I think if we get a good barrier draw in the Telegraph [Handicap] that he's going to be a massive chance.

"He races very well fresh-up and he has really strengthened up with the break he's had from racing.

"He'll only have 50.5 kilograms on his back and with a good on-the-pace sit it'll take a very good horse to catch him down that Trentham straight."

Allan Peard will replace Opie Bosson on the well-performed son of stallion sensation Stravinsky.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY