KEY POINTS:
Promising trotter Dux is a perfect example of the benefits of harness racing's new Tuesday afternoon meetings, which feature at Cambridge today.
The regular Tuesday fixtures started at Alexandra Park last week and are aimed predominantly at lower grade horses, with lower stakes than night meetings later in the week.
And trainer Stephen Doody says that makes them an ideal launching pad for Dux's campaign.
The four-year-old looked very talented last season but started to race fiercely toward the end of his campaign and Doody wants him to gain experience before heading to Addington or Alexandra Park.
"I think he is a pretty nice horse and he has come back stronger than last season," said Doody.
"But he needs experience and he also needs some racing to get fit.
"That is where these [Tuesday] meetings come in handy because he can come here and get fitness and experience without having the hard run he might at Alexandra Park. Otherwise, he would just be going back to the workouts or trials."
Doody says with that in mind Dux should be treated with caution by punters at Cambridge today. But he still believes he can win the fifth race on the card with Oh So Special.
She was checked into a gallop last week and has been generally luckless, but Doody is pleased with her raceday performances.
The Manawatu trainer will line up seven horses today, including a debutante daughter of champion mare Blossom Lady, called Bloss Fame, in race two.
"She is a nice horse who will make it in time but she is green so I think she will need the run this week," he said.
Doody will race three horses, including stable star Braig, at Alexandra Park on Friday before returning home to Palmerston North after being based in Cambridge in recent weeks.
But he will soon be heading to the South Island to campaign Braig at the New Zealand Cup carnival.
Today's meeting has already drawn bigger and better fields than the first meeting last week and provides some good punting races.
- NZPA
