By Michael Guerin
The words of a champion horseman are one of the few ghosts haunting trainer Steven Reid as he prepares Star Galleria for tomorrow night’s $100,000 Taylor Mile.
The speed freak pacer is the $2.60 opening favourite for the group one sprint, one of four group races as Alexandra Park kicks off its last major carnival of the season tomorrow night.
Star Galleria has developed from a speedster lacking strength last season into one of the best pacers in the country behind Lazarus with a series of high-class victories over the summer, downing the likes of Heaven Rocks and Jack’s Legend with ease.
While he hasn’t raced since his effortless win in the City of Auckland Free-For-All a month ago, the four-year-old thrilled Reid winning his Pukekohe workout last Saturday in a fast time on a soaked track.
“He felt great and I have no doubt he is better than he was a month or two ago,” says Reid.
“He has got stronger again and I couldn’t be happier with him.
“The Puke track is fast at the moment but he still paced 3:2 for his 2400m on a wet track, his last 800m in 55 seconds so he is ready.”
The only concern Reid had after last Saturday’s spectacular workout win was the words of champion driver Maurice McKendry, who drove runner-up Let It Ride.
“Maurice sat on our back and never pulled out and after after the workout he told me his horse was jogging,” says Reid.
“So maybe he has come over here in really good form, I suppose we will find out on Friday.”
Let It Ride is a member of Tim Butt’s Menangle stable and was a close second to eventual Miracle Mile runner-up Jilliby Kung Fu in the Chariots of Fire in February.
He looked very impressive during last Saturday’s workout and his gate speed and sprint prowess are honed by his Sydney racing diet so with barrier two he has emerged as a real danger in the race.
A G’s WhIe Socks has the ace draw and More The Better is drawn on Let It Ride’s back, suggesting all four favourites should be handy, almost always the key to Taylor Mile success.
Trotting young gun Enghien has opened favourite against the older horses in the $100,000 Anzac Cup, with the aid of barrier two and the fact his connections believe he is more comfortable around Alexandra Park.
But the favourite for one of tomorrow night’s other group races Luby Lou goes into the $60,000 Sires’ Stakes Trotters Champs with no experience right-handed, which may be why bookies are giving an appealing $2 for the superstar filly, keeping
Renezmae safe at $5.80 after her impressive northern debut last Friday.
The race looks one of the deeper three-year-old trot features at Alexandra Park in recent years as the breed continues to develop at the two and three-year-old levels through better breeding and more racing opportunities.
That is also being reflected in the high number of two-year-old trotters racing this season compared with five years ago, the resurgence suggesting HRNZ’s recent boosts of stakes for the three trotting races at the Jewels to $125,000 was the right decision.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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