Racing: Time for Sly to really get Flyin

By MICHAEL GUERIN

Sly Flyin is at the crossroads.

The champion 4-year-old pacer faces the most important race of his comeback from a career-threatening injury when he clashes with arch-rival Jack Cade at Forbury Park tonight.

If Sly Flyin wins or is narrowly beaten he will remain on track for a million-dollar campaign here and in Australia.

If he is easily beaten then trainer Bruce Negus says he will lower his sights.

"This is the pivotal race for him," admits Negus.

"He needs to go a huge race here to head to the Hunter Cup [A$400,000] and the Chariots Of Fire [A$200,000].

"If he doesn't go a big one then we will look at our season."

That could even mean missing the Interdominions, with its $500,000 Grand Final, on Sly Flyin's home track of Addington in April.

Sly Flyin looked on track for all those riches when winning the first three races of his comeback but stunned punters, and his connections, when beaten in the Invercargill Cup last Saturday.

He worked to the lead in the middle stages but was run down late and had the race been 100m further he wouldn't have run a place.

Negus blames himself for the defeat.

"He worked that well the Monday before the race I didn't hopple him again and that was a mistake.

"Afterwards he blew for 35 minutes so he was short of fitness for a 3200m race at that level.

"But he will have improved a lot with that run and he won't be short of fitness this week."

Negus says Sly Flyin's 14 months away from the race track with injury has cost him more than just his three-year-old season.

"He has lost a leg on what he was at the start of last season.

"He is nowhere as sharp because of the hard racing he missed but I am sure we can get him back to that because he tries so hard and is such a good horse.

"But we will know a lot more after this race."

Sly Flyin shares the 20m backmark in tonight's $25,000 Four-Year-Old Championship with Jack Cade and the pair have been aided by scratchings reducing the field to eight starters.

That should ensure they stay in contact with their rivals, who will undoubtedly try and run them off their feet.

While Sly Flyin has been battling to get back to his peak, Jack Cade can not be anywhere near his yet, even after a stunning comeback win at Addington last Friday.

He rated an outstanding 2:00 for 2600m mobile but looked very fat before the race and is still a few hard races away from his best.

Yet his trainer Mark Purdon, who has handed the drive to stable reinsman Blair Orange because he is in Melbourne, says Jack Cade will be lengths better than he was at Addington a week ago.

"He really needed that run and it will have improved him a lot," said Purdon.

"It will still be a hard race to win from the 20m mark but I have great confidence in this horse."

While Jack Cade will start favourite tonight the race could come down to which of the great horses can get in front of the other, especially as Forbury is a notoriously hard track to make ground on.

That means standing start manners may be crucial and neither pacer is perfect from a stand so the first 100m will be crucial.

So who will win?

I say Jack Cade, even though he is short of his best.

Negus is not so sure. "It is a 50-50 call depending on who gets the run," he says.