NZ HARNESS NEWS
It will be ‘all hands on deck’ for Murray Edmonds and his team at around 7.30 on Thursday night.
The Motukarara horseman lines up five runners in a mobile trot at Addington and, thanks to their collective low ratings and the preferential draw, they have drawn slots one through five behind the mobile.
It will be a big undertaking for Edmonds, but it would have been worse, he reckoned.
“We actually could have had seven in that race if we wanted to; they’re all in that same rating band.
“But that would be a bit silly so I picked the best two out (Chivasion and Anna Kate) and put them in the higher-graded race.”
Thankfully, he has a good crew around him to get them all geared and race-ready in a short window.
“The wife will come in and help, plus we have some good friends, which have shares in some of them, that know what they’re doing as well.
“We have to be pretty organised.”
It’s not completely uncharted territory for the seasoned horseman, though – he had four in one race at Addington earlier in the year.
Edmonds has opted to drive Heavenly Love and has recruited Stephen McNally (Star Pride), Jim Curtin (Unique Marshll), Tim Williams (Spurred By Success) and John Dunn (Unique Rose) for the others.
“He’s just a wee bit harder to get around the track than the others. But if you know him, he’s easy to drive.”
As for the best chance, he points to the youngest of the bunch, three-year-old trotting filly Unique Rose.
“She’s been trotting good and has the ability and Spurred By Success led up and ran third last time so isn’t far off either. They’d be the two.”
Win, lose or draw, the connections of Spurred By Success will be taking home more money than anyone else in the race.
He’s sitting on 14 starts and a win in the last 12 months at Addington, meaning he collects the $7,500 Met Multiplier bonus ($2,500 for Edmonds and $5,000 for the owner) just for going around this week.
Anna Kate and Chivasion have a harder task against the likes of Over The Love and Light Year Franco, but their trainer isn’t perturbed.
“They’re both working good enough and there’s nothing in there that they haven’t raced and been competitive with before.”
Part of the reason Edmonds has a swag of horses at the same meeting is the fact the grass circuit, their usual haunt, has shut down for the season.
And this week it was either Addington or Oamaru.
“Addington is on most weeks so they can get used to racing there, plus it’s only 20 minutes up the road.
“That makes a big difference through the winter months.”
Edmonds is working a team north of 15 so a winter holiday isn’t on the horizon this year.
“There’s a few nice young ones there that broke in well and are back in for a second go now.
“That makes it a bit easier to get through the winter.”
Earlier in the night, Shezza GNP also collects the Met Multiplier bonus for trainers Ken and Tony Barron in what is likely to be her last start before a sale to North America.
Take After Me, who has had 112 starts as a pacer, including 41 without a win this season, has his first crack at the trotting caper.
Trainer Glenn Scott has given him two workouts and three trials in preparation for his ‘debut’.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
