By Duane Ranger
There are two North Island harness racing meetings on Friday and Saturday this week, starting with the Harness Racing Waikato meeting at Cambridge Raceway this Friday night.
Just 63 nominations have been accepted.
Mike Berger has just two horses lining up at Cambridge and has a royal chance of running one-and-two in the feature event – the $9,000 Kiwi Bus Builders Handicap for the R66 and faster pacers.
Lusty Mac (R83) and Phil Butcher will start from 10m behind while stablemate Bettor Spirits (R96) and Andre Poutama will start from the 40m back-mark.
Berger said there wasn’t much between them.
“They are the only two from my barn that will line up on Friday. Lusty Mac is still on the way back and has a 30 metre head-start on my other fella (Bettor Spirits). I wouldn’t want to lean either way, but I have always had a lot of time for Lusty Mac.
“She’s five now, the same as Bettor Spirits. Hopefully this might be the year she stands up because I have no doubt that she has got a lot of ability,” Berger said.
The Cambridge trainer said Lusty Mac will be having her fourth start back since heading to the spelling paddock in early June.
On June 4 she was fourth favourite and finished 11th in Group One $150,000 Diamond for the 4-year-old mares.
“She’s the type of horse who gets better with racing. If she steps, and I think she will, then she will might be a bit too strong for the other guy to catch,” Berger said.
“We are still to see the best of her,” he added.
Three of Lusty Mac’s seven wins have come at Cambridge and she has placed twice in two of her three stands. She has also placed once from two starts over the 2700m stand.
Berger said Bettor Spirits would relish the drop in class again after winning a seven-horse R66 and faster field from his 30m handicap by a neck at Cambridge last Friday. He was the $5 third favourite.
“He has been racing against the top-liners like Lazarus and Chase The Dream and he had to go well last start after those tough assignments.
“He won well and he should step up again on Friday. Andre (Poutama) drove him a treat that night and he will stay with him,” said Berger.
“He’s had a lot of hard racing so he is race fit and can win off his mark,” he added.
Bettor Spirits has won 13 races, four from a stand, and three over the distance.
“Phil knows him real well and will give him every chance again, but remember Lusty Mac doesn’t have to improve much to be a threat,” Berger said.
The Rod Mackenzie trained Fizzi Lizzie could be the fly in the ointment for Berger.
The 6-year-old McArdle mare has won four of her last six starts, and was a nice second behind Lola Jones at Cambridge on December 30. Five of her seven wins have been on the track.
The Steven Reid trained Mo Casino can’t be dismissed either. He raced against New Zealand record holder Vincent prior to finishing second at behind Full Speed Ahead at Rotorua last Sunday.
He looked a winning chance 100m from home, but put in a wee skip which cost him victory.
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