By Jonny Turner
Trainer Craig Ferguson has traded the best view at the track for an even better seat to watch his unbeaten pacer Street Art from.
Though he is a leading southern reinsman himself, the Wyndham trainer has engaged Nathan Williamson to drive his talented three-year-old.
Williamson and Street Art made it back-to-back wins, after beating a strong field at Addington first up, by speeding away from his rivals in race 10 at Oamaru yesterday.
Ferguson said it is a comfortable watch when you hand over the reins to one of the best drivers in the south.
“He is one of the best and you just know he is going to get the job done.”
“The horse can be quite tricky at home and I thought it might be best to chuck Nath on.”
“But he has been a different horse at the races, Nath has said has been really good both times.”
“But when you have Nathan on he is going to do a 10 out of 10 job every time.”
Street Art showed a brilliant turn of foot when clearing out to win yesterday, unleashing a sizzling 26.1sec final 400m.
Unbeaten in three starts, the three-year-old looks to have the talent to take on the best of his age-group.
But first, Ferguson has a New Zealand Cup Week target in mind.
“He has stepped up every time, which has been pleasing.”
“He did it reasonably nice today and it looks like he is going to take the next step up.”
“I had in the back of my mind that he could go to the three-year-old race at Ashburton this week.”
“But I think I will probably skip that and set him for the South Of The Waitaki race on Show Day.”
“That will be a nice race for him, he is a rating 60 now so he will get into it nicely.”
Street Art is an all-Wyndham proposition given he is trained by Ferguson and bred and raced by Bathan and Jane Muir.
The three-year-old is even staying with former Wyndhamite Regan Todd ahead of the New Zealand Cup Carnival.
Ferguson and his open class trotter Smokin Bandar all but booked their place in the biggest trots at New Zealand Cup Week on Friday night.
The grey trotter charged into second behind Muscle Mountain in the Group 3 Canterbury Park Trotting Cup.
Ranked in the last of 15 starting spots for the Dominion, the placing should give Smokin Bandar a bump up the rankings and solidify his place in the field for the Group One feature.
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