Velocity winner gets opportunity to return to the winner’s circle

Better Knuckle Up won the inaugural $500,000 Velocity slot race at Addington in 2024. Photo / Ajay Berry

Better Knuckle Up could have a rare experience at Alexandra Park tonight.

He might win a race.

That might seem a little unfair to point out about a pacer clearly in the top 10 in the country, but such are the realities of pacing’s big time.

Better Knuckle Up won the first $500,000 Velocity slot race at Addington in November 2024 and has been a constant open-class force since, including a huge fourth in the New Zealand Cup in November when coming from last.

But because of how hard that open grade is, and his own standing start issues, that Velocity win remains Better Knuckle Up’s only victory in the last 18 months.

Co-trainer Scott Phelan thinks Better Knuckle Up gets the prime opportunity to end that drought at Alexandra Park tonight, albeit with a very difficult stablemate to hold out.

Better Knuckle Up has drawn barrier 6 in the feature pacing mile, which is an early highlight as Race 2. He has Queensland Derby winner Rubira next to him at barrier 7 and stablemate Sooner The Bettor at barrier 8.

Sooner The Bettor has made a habit of winning these Alexandra Park races just below the absolute best level and is race-fit after overcoming a 30m handicap to win an easier race last Friday.

Phelan, who trains the pair in partnership with Barry Purdon, says there is so little between the pair that the draw could decide the race.

“We all know how good Sooner The Bettor is racing, and he tends to win these races.

“And he might do that again. But I think the draw really helps Better Knuckle Up.

“I think he will go forward and lead, and then Tony [Herlihy] has options, he could stay in front or take a trail.

“Because of that, I think he has more ways he can win, and I’d narrowly go with him as our best chance.”


Phelan also suggests punters give Chanel Noire another chance in the last race tonight.

“She is a really nice mare who might have too much speed for most of them in this grade.”

Tonight’s meeting contains plenty of young talent who will populate the age-group races coming up at The Park, one of the best being Allamericanplayer (R4, No 8).

He was one of our elite juvenile pacers last season and, if anywhere near his normal racing fitness, should win even from his outside barrier draw.

Nazare and Alecto are two other smart 3-year-olds returning in Race 5, while both the male and female juvenile pacers step out in their respective Young Guns heat.

Coal Fire (R7, No 3) was a stunning debut winner but has still opened a $1.85 favourite even from barrier 2 tonight, with support for two debutantes in Layton David and Delany.

The 2-year-old fillies in Race 8 look even more even, but Lady Di has the draw and race experience advantage.

Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.