By Mac Henry
Before racing at Alexandra Park and Addington tonight (Friday 27 May), Phil Williamson was just two wins short of a record 50 trotting wins for the season.
Should neither Blazing Under Fire (Auckland) nor Madam Spur (Christchurch) greet the judge, then attention will turn to Winton tomorrow (Saturday 28 May) where the winning trainer of 470 races for squaregaiters has three top hopes in two races.
Three year old maiden Pyramid Mustang runs in the Happy Birthday Ray Hazlett Trot and following his second at Oamaru last Saturday, looks a ready-made favourite. While Redwood Invasion set all the pace at Oamaru, Pyramid Mustang went from the one-one to challenge in the lane and came up only a neck short. He rates highly in this small field.
His half brother by Armbro Invasion, Pyramid Magic, is the winner of four and goes from 30 metres in the Alley Way Handicap trot. Two starts back, at Forbury Park, he went from 20 and settled back of midfield before closing well for third. His latest outing was back at Forbury last night (Thursday 26 May).
After a similar run, Pyramid Magic finished solidly for second to The Jinja Ninja. That he was three lengths in arrears could be accounted for by the fact the race took four seconds longer than the week before and was a sprint home. Pyramid Magic is a definite winning chance on Saturday.
Williamson has the two-win mare Bobbins as a valuable second string in the race.
Two starts back, she finished second on the track on Wairio mile day in October and didn’t race again until Timaru earlier this month. There, Bobbins was left parked for the final lap and faded in the straight to sixth in the race won by stablemate Alderbeck.
Other good prospects at Winton include To Ri Alby in the Energizer Mobile. The Amber Hoffman-trained gelding broke at the stand start at Oamaru, got a cart forward and was then carted back on the last lap, but still managed a respectable fifth.
Trendy’s Bad Girl goes from the inside of the second line in the Zealandia Horticulture Fillies and Mares Mobile Mile. The draw could be a problem but the distance will suit, the mare having finished between one and one and a half lengths of the winner in her three most recent outings over 1700 metres, when third, second and third.
The Happy 40th Birthday Ali Mountney Mobile sees Hoiho line up for the second time.
After settling last on debut, he was carted up to sit parked from the 800 but didn’t wilt at the business end winding up fourth. He has since won at the Winton trials and after sitting three back on the poles, challenged three wide on the turn and sprinted well.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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