Paul Nairn gives the impression he’s still not quite sure on just how good Habibi Inta is.
He knows he’s good, but how good still remains to be seen.
Unbeaten in three starts now after his front-running victory over Custodian in the NZ 2YO Trotting Stakes on Saturday night the Gaby and Julie Maghzal owned colt has established himself as the top lot of the two-year-old trotting division.
But Nairn knows he can be better. And in Nairn, Habibi Inta has the right man to get that extra bit of brilliance out into the open.
“What he’s doing right now, he’s doing well within himself,” Nairn said.
“But there is some improvement there still, for such a big horse he does very well and he’s already proven he can run the times as his first win was close to a New Zealand record.”
A solidly built son of Love You and Ten To One, Habibi Inta was again handled by Blair Orange who is fast striking up a strong association with Nairn and Maghzal combination following their Oaks win with Habibti Ivy last season.
A trip to Auckland later this month isn’t off the cards either and then of course there is the Harness Jewels.
“You’d like to think he would come back as a pretty good three-year-old, but you never know.
“We haven’t had to really push him any harder than we have wanted to yet so I guess you would like to think he will just get better.”
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There’s always plenty said when Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen flex their muscles at a major race meeting, but it was hard not to be in awe of what the All Stars achieved on Saturday night.
They chucked a sulky on 14 horses. Six of them came back winners and five finished in a minor placing.
Wins came courtesy of Ultimate Machete, MacKenzie, All Star Angus, Heaven Rocks, Renske B and Major Ben.
It was Mackenzie though, who arguably made the biggest impression with her effort to sit parked against a good field and show resolute toughness to hold on and win.
The Rock N Roll Heaven three-year-old filly will now head down South for one start so as to ensure she is qualified for the Southland Oaks.
“She’s come back in super condition,” Mark said.
“I thought that was a very impressive performance tonight considering she sat outside the leader (Bettor Scoot), who is a very good horse in his own right.
“She’s really filled out from her two-year-old season, she’s big and strong and feels really good.”
Purdon said that the Oaks at Invercargill was the immediate aim, however he also had one eye on the Harness Jewels.
Renske B got one back up on Delightful Memphis when she came off her back in the Sires’ Stakes Fillies heat to win in the hands of Tim Williams.
The Mach Three filly had placed in her previous two starts behind Delightful Memphis, but with the aid of a great run in transit while her toughest opponent sat parked she was too slick up the straight.
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Sunny Ruby showed exactly why she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming trotting features when she came from well off the speed to run down Sheemon in the feature trot of the night.
The Sam Smolenski trained former Jewels winner has been in and out of form this season, but reminded everyone of just how good, and how fast she is with Saturday night’s effort.
At least eight lengths off Sheemon and Jag’s Invasion at the 300 metre mark she ran them down with 100 metres to spare and coasted to the line.
“I think we’ve found out the best way to drive her,” Smolenski quipped after the race.
“Last start the hood came off after about 80 metres and she just raced too keen, tonight showed what she’s capable of when she relaxes and can do things nicely.”
The win surprised plenty including driver Gavin Smith who thought third was going to be his lot at the 400 metre mark.
“I could see how far in front of us they were and didn’t give her much hope even though I know how quick she is.
“But about 50 metres after I got her out and in the clear I knew she was going to win, she just lets down so quick and did most of that on her own.”
The Four and Five-Year-Old Trotting Championship this Friday night is the next target for the mare.
There she will square off with Monbet who is expected to make his return to racing, although his pending sale may curb those plans should he be sold.
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He will never reach the dizzying heights that his champion brother scaled. But Little Mo is doing just fine.
The Ken Ford trained trotter, who was also successful as a pacer, caused the upset of the night on Saturday when he stormed his way to victory in the lower grade trot for Clint Ford.
A son of Courage Under Fire and Khalum, Little Mo’s outstanding brother is of course, Lyell Creek.
But that’s about where the similarities stop.
A winner of four races, the dour little dude is enjoying the best season of his career though and it’s nowhere near being finished.
He’s going that good in fact that Ford, who drives the gelding for his father Ken, is thinking of taking him to Auckland as a travelling companion for stable three-year-old Marcoola when he heads north for the Northern Trotting Derby this month.
“He needs a horse to go with him and this guy seems the perfect horse to take.
“I think the style of racing would suit him up there because he doesn’t mind doing a bit of work in his races.”
His win on Saturday night gave the Ford stable it’s 14th winner for the season, equalling Ken’s previous best season tally of which he achieved back in 2004.
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