By Duane Ranger
Todd Macfarlane jokingly hopes there’s an airport bomb scare when Tony Herlihy (MNZM) returns from the United States this week.
Herlihy and his wife Suzanne have been in Florida celebrating their son Mark’s wedding. Last week Mark Herlihy married leading Canadian horsewoman, and multiple Group One winning trainer Casey Coleman.
“Hopefully Tony might not be able to get back into the country. That’s the only way I’ll get to drive The Orange Agent on Friday,” the Pukekohe reinsman joked.
The Bunty Hughes trained The Orange Agent has easily won her three workouts at Pukekohe this time in. Herlihy drove her to win by three-quarters of a length on February 11 and then Macfarlane steered the daughter of American Ideal to two easy two-length victories the last two Saturdays.
Her winning mile rates were 2:06, 2:00.9 and 1:59.5 respectively.
“Bunty wanted me to drive her off the gate on Saturday so we led early and that was basically it. She led all the way and felt special. She’s certainly a very nice open class pacer.
“She showed no signs of her previous injuries,” Macfarlane said.
The Orange Agent led all the way pacing the 2200m mobile in 2:43.4 with final 800m sprints of a slashing 55.8 and 27 even.
Robbie Burns, The Faithful and Arden’s Choice were two lengths, a length and two-and-a-half lengths away. They were the only starters.
“She ran off the gate real nice. I think she’s primed to go a big race first-up. I’d love to be driving her on race-day,” said Macfarlane.
The Orange Agent will resume from a 14-month spell in Friday’s $25,000 Founders’ Free-For-All at Alexandra Park.
The Lincoln farms sponsored Group Three event is a 1700m mobile and if she shows the same explosive speed off the machine this week she is going to take some stopping.
But trainer Hughes isn’t getting carried away and warns after what the 5-year-old has been through, she is still very much a day-to-day proposition.
“When you have a horse go through what she’s been through then you can only take her one day at a time. One day she could be fine and the next she could end up lame.
“She’s healthy now but you never take anything for granted in this game. It’s all about getting her fit for premier racing at Alexandra Park in March,” said Hughes.
Friday’s assignment will be her first race after winning at Cambridge Raceway on January 8 last year when she triumphed in the Group Two Waikato Flying Mile in 1:56.3.
The Orange Agent suffered two breaks in her hind leg and was boxed for three months at a time – twice.
At the time of her injury she was New Zealand’s best pacing mare and then while she was on the road to recovery vets found another fracture in her pastern in July last year.
The Orange Agent has raced 25 times for 18 wins, four seconds, and banked $562,175 in stakes.
Her Group One wins came in the Northern Oaks (3yo), the Nevele R Fillies Final, and the Harness Jewels Diamond – all in 2015.
She has had two starts in Australia for a Breeders Crown heat win at Ballarat on August 22, 2015 and then eight days later crushed her 11 opponents in the Group One $175,000 Breeders Crown Final at Melton’s Tabcorp Park.
She was also crowned 4-Year-Old Pacing Mare of the Year at the 2016 Harness Racing Awards in Christchurch.
She is likely to race at Alexandra Park again in March and after that?
“You can’t look too far ahead with a horse like this, but if she comes through her Auckland races okay then there are Australia options later in the season,” Hughes said.
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