When training freak Paul Nairn says losing some weight has helped transform Kahdon into a star he is not talking about her belly.
Nairn showed why he is regarded by many as New Zealand's best trainer of trotters when he produced Kahdon to win the $70,000 Sires' Stakes Final last Friday, capping a stable double after Dr Hook's stunning win earlier in the night.
Both horses deserve to be warm favourites to repeat the dose tonight, especially as Kahdon has drawn perfectly in the $80,000 Breckon Bloodstock Northern Derby.
The draw, coupled with her gate speed, gives her a major advantage over arch-rival Shezoneoftheboyz, although recent results suggest Kahdon may not need it.
While Shezoneoftheboyz was clearly the best 3-year-old trotter two months ago, Kahdon has been at least as potent in her past four starts.
Nairn says that is because of the filly's increased experience and losing some weight - off her hooves.
Nairn still uses old-style toe weights to keep his young trotters safely in their gait but was able to take them off for the first time on race night last Friday.
"Now she is more confident I have taken the toe weights and the bell boots off and that gives them more speed. She needed the extra weight to keep her trotting when she started racing back at Christmas but she seems fine without it now.
"It makes quite a difference."
That was obvious last Friday when Kahdon burst to the lead and then easily held out Emma Hamilton and Shezoneoftheboyz.
From barrier two she should be in front again tonight, providing she can cross Miami H, who pulled hard last week, at the start.
If she does that it will take a top performance to run her down.
"I think she will be better this week than last Friday because she hadn't settled in that well last week whereas she is right at her peak now, happy and eating up."
Dr Hook has been another big improver this autumn, with his win last Friday having a touch of champion stablemate Stig about it.
"He is an open-class horse in the making," says Nairn, who has trained some of the great trotters of the past 20 years. And he seems to race better right-handed so he will be hard to beat again this week.
That should be all punters need to know when betting into race two tonight.
Meanwhile, Nairn says a second-line draw might aid Musgrove in the Rowe Cup.
"It will be a hard race to win but back there he might miss all the early work and get a chance to come into the race later.
"But it is a good field so he will need luck."
Well clear: After her strong win last week, Kahdon will be hard to beat in the Northern Derby. Photo / Brett Phibbs
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