By Michael Guerin
Paul Nairn’s confidence heading into the Breeders Crown has been boosted by a stunning private workout from Conon Bridge far more than the colt’s previous huge wins.
Conon Bridge is the NZ TAB’s $1.30 favourite to win the male juvenile trot at the Crown at Melton on Sunday, one of seven New Zealand-trained favourites for group ones on the day.
He has won his last two Australian starts by huge margins and Nairn thinks the racey colt has the perfect barrier draw at one.
But that isn’t why Nairn is confident of his first Breeders Crown training success.
He is smiling after a private workout at trainer Lance Justice’s property on Sunday in which Conon Bridge beat an intermediate grade pacer, not something you hear every day about a two-year-old trotter.
“He won a race at Kilmore last week by a big gap but I thought he actually needed the run so we gave him a serious hit out on Sunday at Lance’s place and I think that is the best he has ever worked,” Nairn told the Herald.
“He worked with a handy pacer and beat him so I think I have got him where I want him now.”
Regular driver Bob Butt will fly to Melbourne to take the reins and Nairn says the ace draw makes the tactics on Sunday pretty simple.
“He has very high gate speed so I think we will be trying to lead all the way.”
The irony of that is not lost on Nairn as he left Conon Bridge on the unruly for the Jewels in May because he was concerned the fiery youngster would over-race if asked to come off the gate hard.
As it turned out he galloped for no reason when mid field at the 1000m mark in a Jewels won by Missandei after she used her gate speed to lead and dominate High Gait.
“I wasn’t keen on him being on the front line back then but over here he has actually settled a bit more and I have learned we are better off on the front line, letting him run early and getting in front of the other horses and then he will settle.
“So while racing doesn’t always work out how you want, that is the idea this week and being a two-year-old trot if he begins as fast as he can then he shouldn’t have too many horses around him.”
Nairn is still worried though that local Sundon’s Courage, who finished second to Conon Bridge in her Crown heat, could trail him throughout and be hard to hold out.
“He is a nice horse with speed and so is Cyclone Chief from back home so we are going to need to be at our peak to win but I am sure he is now.”
Conon Bridge is joined by High Gait, The Orange Agent, Speeding Spur, Waikiki Beach and Dream About Me as Kiwi-trained favourites all paying $1.50 or less for Sunday while Follow The Stars of the $1.90 favourite here for the glamour three-year-old event but as long as $2.25 in Australia.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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