By Michael Guerin
Two of the most promising pacers in the north should provide punters with a Pick6 kick start at Alexandra Park tonight.
After the highs of Cup week in Christchurch last week tonight’s meeting and the grass track fixture at Geraldine tomorrow give harness punters a more relaxed vibe before the Inter Dominions kick off in Victoria next week and the Alexandra Park summer carnival starts to pick up momentum.
But that doesn’t mean tonight’s meeting lacks class.
On The Cards (R6, No.6) headlines a smart field while Revolver (R4, No.8) looks one of the sharper lower grade pacers in the north and a horse who could end up in the better four-year-old races at the back end of the season.
Revolver is unbeaten in two starts for trainer Tony Herlihy and while he hasn’t raced since April he has looked very sharp and even stronger than last season in his two recent workout wins.
“I am happy with where he is at and even though he has a wide draw he feels very forward,” says Herlihy.
“But it is hard to be confident from the draw.” Revolver does however come into tonight’s first leg of Pick6 with a reputation and would seem a horse most rivals drivers would be happy to trail should Herlihy choose to use him early.
On The Cards was used plenty early last start but was stunning winning in a far easier grade and looks Barry Purdon’s next good open class horse.
He broke 3:20 for 2700m mobile last start and while he meets a better field tonight he has a big advantage in the draws over stablemate Mach Shard while the scratching of potential early leader Tennyson Bromac suggests On The Cards could end up in front, from where he should win.
The southern harness focus is on Geraldine for one of the first grass track country cups of the summer and brings together some serious Cup week players, none more so than Alta Maestro and Forgotten Highway.
Alta Maestro was brilliant winning in the intermediate grade last Friday but Forgotten Highway was a luckless eighth in the New Zealand Cup and his earlier form suggest he is a real open class force, particularly away from the absolute elite so he is the horse to beat.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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