by Michael Howard
It looked a great card Tuesday morning and a little trickier come the draws, but young gun reinsman Zac Phillips could well churn out another super Saturday at Tabcorp Park Melton.
The leader of the Victorian concession drivers’ premiership seems well positioned to continue his trotting success with drives behind Anton Golino’s talented juveniles Une Belle Allure and Amour De Frere before reuniting with Group 1 gun Red Hot Tooth.
Fresh from winning the New South Wales equivalent, Une Belle Allure will tackle Saturday night’s Noel Simpson Memorial Victoria Trotters Oaks, but her presumed favouritism was zapped by a gate 13 draw, with pole marker and stablemate Kinvara Sue instead gaining punters’ favour.
“It’s definitely going to be hard, in those Group 1 races you always need a bit of luck in running and good draws to go your way and by the look of it she hasn’t got either,” Phillips told RSN927’s Gait Speed program.
“I definitely think she’s the best filly in the field, hopefully that’s good enough to get her over the line. She showed her best in the New South Wales trotters’ oaks a couple of weeks ago, if she can repeat that performance she should be a top chance.”
The scenario’s only slightly better for Amour De Frere in the Alabar Tatlow Stakes, a $30,000 Group 2 for two-year-old trotters. Golino’s Love You filly has drawn gate seven but must be considered a chance after an outstanding two runs to date, winning on debut before a cracking second after breaking amid the standing start.
“I think she is going to be a top class filly going forward,” Phillips said. “Her manners let her down last start but she is still learning, she’s very green, another one who hasn’t drawn to kindly but if she gets a little bit of luck in running she definitely won’t be far away.”
The same draw, gate seven, has befallen Red Hot Tooth in the Bacardi Lindy Mares Trot, a crack at a fifth Group level win for Kari Males’ prized trotter. While passing up the drive on Golino’s Glenferrie Burn wasn’t an easy one for Phillips, sticking with Red Hot Tooth was.
“Those decisions are never easy, you don’t like getting off a horse and disappointing anyone,” Phillips said. “I am certainly committed to Red Hot Tooth and wouldn’t think about getting off her.
“I’ve driven Red Hot Tooth for a few years now and drove her all through her three-year-old year, she looks to be a grand circuit horse going forward.
“It doesn’t look an easy field and another one who hasn’t drawn too kindly, but she is a fast mare and can make her own luck if need be.”
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