NZ HARNESS NEWS
Canterbury mare Sweet Mary will get conditions to suit regardless of the weather at Ascot Park on Saturday.
The Brad Mowbray-trained pacer will attempt a hat-trick of wins in the Robin Dundee Mares Crown over 1700m.
Sweet Mary slogged out a tough win like she was a veteran mudlark at her last start – at Cromwell – after winning on a hard and fast track at Winton.
That has her perfectly placed to handle any conditions that might be thrown at her in Saturday’s mares feature.
“We had eight in at Cromwell and she was the only one we thought about scratching,” said Mowbray.
“All of the others were older and battle-hardened and I thought they would just carry on and not worry.”
“With her I was a bit more worried, but then she was the only of them that won.”
“She surprised me how she plugged on, as well as she did.”
“She went pretty good, really.”
The Metservice is predicting some rain will hit the Invercargill region and that could produce a sticky track that Sweet Mary should enjoy.
The main concern for the Mowbray camp heading in to the $14,000 feature is their pacer’s tricky barrier 7 draw.
“She obviously needs a bit of luck from the draw, but she is definitely fit and well and ready to run a race.”
Punters should not expect to see Sweet Mary blasting off the arm to take up a handy position.
Mowbray would like to see the mare driven for one run.
“She seems to be racing better driven quietly.
“When you look at her and how she works you wouldn’t think that is her way of going, but she seems better following.
“So, we will just have to hope she settles handy or gets a drag in to it.”
The Mowbray stable two strong winning chances on Invercargill Cup day.
Kingmaker returns to racing for the first time since making a good impression winning two of his three starts in the spring.
The three-year-old last started when running seventh in a heat of the Sires Stakes Series.
“We were quite happy with that run; he got held up at the top of the straight and everything didn’t go quite perfect for him.
“With what Global Domination did at Gore, he was just around us that night, so he is still up with the better ones.”
Kingmaker will return a better and stronger horse after his spell.
“Absolutely, he has grown and developed a bit.”
Kingmaker meets a handy line up of middle-grade pacers on Saturday.
Leading Southland three-year-old Robyns Playboy returns to racing after his slightly surprising defeat behind Global Domination at Gore last month.
Fellow three-year-old, I Already Told You, who will attempt four consecutive wins, looks another strong winning chance.
- NZ Harness News
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