Racing: Arcee Phoenix must burn early or chase Locomotive

Chris Svanosio and Arcee Phoenix in action.

Chris Svanosio is going to do something he doesn’t want to do at the start of tonight’s $600,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge.

Because he knows if he doesn’t do it, the slot race could be over as soon as it has begun for Arcee Phoenix.

The Victorian horseman, universally known as “Snooze”, realises he can’t be caught napping at the start of the 2200m mobile because if he is, Arcee Phoenix will lose his crucial tactical advantage over fellow Aussie and likely race favourite The Locomotive.

Arcee Phoenix has drawn barrier 4 and The Locomotive barrier 6, and most expect one of the pair to lead after 400m. Whoever does becomes the horse to beat, covering less ground and able to dictate to their rivals.

So what is the problem?

“I have spent the last two years trying not to rush him off the gate,” sighs Svanosio. “I have looked after him in most of his races early to keep him balanced and then let him work his way into the race.“

In some of those races, he has still been able to work his way to the front and he is a very good front-runner, but he hasn’t been really buzzed off the gate.

“But if I let Brad [Hewitt, driving The Locomotive] get straight past us then that gives the advantage to him.

“So I might have to roll the dice this week, try to get him out as fast as I can and see what happens.”

While that is a key tactical admission and full of logic, the richest race of a horse’s career is a tricky time to be seeking new weapons for their arsenal.

Arcee Phoenix has plenty of experience, starting in this race last year and two Group 1s at the New Zealand Cup meeting. He finished fourth in all three.

With the champion Just Believe retired, he is one of those bidding for his crown. The price of the crown may be early balance and poise under pressure.

Whether he can pay that price could decide tonight’s race.

Even if Arcee Phoenix learns his new trick quickly, Hewitt has made it clear he intends to press on, full of confidence his Inter Dominion winner will handle a dogfight into the first bend and come out the other side trotting.

With the fastest Kiwi on the front line, Muscle Mountain, drawn widest, it seems certain one of the two big gun Aussies will eventually lead, wresting it off (more than likely) Queen Elida.

That will make the winner of the early battle the favourite to win the war but the uglier it gets inside the first 600m, with anything below 43s for that opening sectional considered detrimentally fast, the better the chances of the locals.

Oscar Bonavena would love to watch an early fireworks display before putting a dampener on it later and under those circumstances, he would become the horse to beat.

Bet N Win felt like the biggest loser from the draw, being the only horse on the second line, but driver Bob Butt gets the chance to sum up early whether to stay on the market and wait for gaps if the pressure gets ramped up or slide into the running line if it doesn’t.

Either way, he is going to have to try to adopt a new racing style to win tonight, just like Arcee Phoenix.

Whereas The Locomotive and Oscar Bonavena will just need to be themselves and the race should come to one of them.

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.