By Duane Ranger
Maurice McKendry has driven two Sires Stakes 3yo champions before, but at Addington November 10 the 1991 World Driving champion is hoping he can take his harness racing career to new heights.
McKendry has never trained a Group One winner and believes the Gerald Shand owned Shandale could take him close to achieving that goal on Cup Day.
Shandale beat a compact but quality field of 3-year-olds at Alexandra Park last Friday. McKendry thought they were a forlorn hope after the leaders got away with average sectionals early on.
“I thought they would get away on me but he out-sprinted them. That really surprised me first-up, because he had only had a couple of light trials heading into the race,” McKendry said.
Shandale’s road to the Sires Stakes Final starts at Cambridge Raceway on Friday night. To qualify for the prestigious Group One Final he must finish first or second in the $18,000 NRM Sires Stakes heat.
The field has attracted just six starters, and as was the case last week, Kimani (1), Art Form, (2), Motown (4) will be toughest for Shandale (5) to get past. Impressive last start Walkinshaw makes it a tricky assignment for McKendry and Shandale.
“My fella is really well within himself and can only get better, but in saying that we have drawn wide and it’s a tighter, smaller track at Cambridge and the leaders might not be so hard to catch.
“I’d like to think we can run one or two this time, because he feels and looks really well. If he doesn’t run in two we will try again at Alexandra Park on the 1th (October),” 60-year-old McKendry said.
He said Shandale’s sprint could hold the key to Friday’s 1609m mobile.
“They will go hard again so I wouldn’t want to be too far off them turning in. But I’m rapt with him. His late sprint last week really surprised me. I didn’t think he would haul them in like he did.
“But it’s a quality little field and you can’t take anything for granted in racing, especially on the tighter Cambridge track,” Pukekohe-based McKendry said.
Shandale, an Art Major colt, recorded his second victory in eight starts in last Friday’s seven-strong Tegal Pace for the C1 and C2 pacers.
It was his first start since finishing ninth when drawing 14 in the 2yo Emerald Harness Jewels Final at Ashburton raceway on May 30.
Last Friday Shandale stopped the clock in 2:44.8. His mile rate for the 2200m mobile was 2:00.5 with final 800m and 400m sprints of 54.9 and 26.5.
After initially being fifth on the markers, Shandale bounced out of the one-one to beat favourite Art Form (David Butcher) and Motown (Simon Lawson) by half a head and two-and-a-half lengths respectively.
McKendry drove the Geoff Small trained Motoring Magic and the Ray Green trained Sir Lincoln to win the 1993 and 2009 editions of the Sires Stakes Final.
The New Zealand Trotting Hall Of Fame-sponsored ‘Hall-Of-Famer’ has a one-from-one training record in 2015-2016 compared to one-from-seven last season.
His best training feat to date was winning the Group Two Taylor Mile with Ho Wong in 1999.
McKendry also has a drive behind Earthbound in the other feature race of the night – the $12,000 Hamilton Vet Services Te Awamutu Cup for C3 and faster pacers.
The Andrew and Lyn Neal trained duo of Risk (Todd Mitchell) and Delight Brigade (Andrew Neal) look toughest to beat with the Tony Herlihy (MNZM) trained and driven Downunder Stride.
McKendry said even though this week’s assignment was tougher than when he finished fifth of nine on the track on September 10, he could get some of it on Friday.
“This is tougher but he’s 10 metres better off in the handicaps this time. He went okay last time. He did run on a bit. He will need a fast pace this time but I think there might be one or two who might get him.
“He did win well here four starts back when resuming from a spell but I think he is more a place prospect this time. Shandale is my best drive of the night,” McKendry said.
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