By MICHAEL GUERIN
A quick calculation last night convinced Paul Nairn his freakish trotting filly Enthusiast can pull off a miracle at Alexandra Park tonight.
Nairn and Enthusiast take on open class trotters in tonight's Alexandra Park Moteliers Trot in what could be a first for a trotting filly in New Zealand.
If 3-year-old trotters do race out of their own age group it is usually in a maiden race - class one at best. Taking on Rowe Cup runners and a horse who won an Interdo- minion heat three months earlier - Kawarau Invasion - is unheard of.
But New Zealand has never had a trotting filly like Enthusiast.
She has demolarised her age group rivals, winning feature races by five lengths after sitting parked. She has already trotted a 1:59 mile, a faster time than most open class trotters ever record.
Now Nairn says she is ready for the step up.
Tonight's event has a class four front and races of that class over 2700m at Alexandra Park are usually won in around 3:31.
"Give me a second to equate 3:31 for 2700m to 2600m," said Nairn.
"That is about 3:23 for 2600m. Yes, she can trot that all right."
Enthusiast has not raced since trashing fellow 3-year-olds in the Trotting Stakes at Addington on April 22 but did start against the maiden pacers at last Saturday's Motukarara workouts.
"I didn't really let her go but she finished on the leader's back and is pretty ready for tonight.
"But I have left some improvement in her for next week."
Next week is when the Enthusiast roadshow moves to Melbourne, where she will be unbackable in the $A25,000 Victoria Trotting Oaks.
But after that Nairn will bid his champion goodbye for a while. She will join the Victorian trot training legend Graeme Lang for the winter.
"She has some big races over there but they go right through until July 29 and there is no point me staying over there that long. Graeme will train her after the Oaks until she returns home."
While Enthusiast will be a warm favourite in tonight's second leg of Pick Six she not only has history against her but the race will be her first from a standing start in over two months.
"I am not worried about that because she is usually pretty fast from a stand," said Nairn.
"I just hope they go hard all the way because she is a great stayer."
Racing: Enthusiast can pull off miracle
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