Racing: Galleria's chance to down Vincent at Cambridge

Vincent is odds-on to win the Auckland Cup on December 31. Photo / Stuart McCormick

Even holding all the aces may not be enough for Star Galleria to down Vincent at Cambridge tomorrow.

But trainer Steven Reid knows it gives his speed-freak four-year-old maybe the best chance he will ever get.

The pair dominate a five-horse field for the $50,000 Futurity at the twilight meeting and punters could be forgiven for thinking the 2700m mobile is a line-up-and-win job for Vincent.

He was the best three-year-old pacer in Australasia last season and returned with a crushing win in the group two Franklin Cup at Alexandra Park last Friday, a rarity for that class of pacer fresh up for the season.

Vincent was so dominant last week he is odds-on to win the Auckland Cup on December 31 but he is not past the post tomorrow because Star Galleria has already shown he knows how to beat an All Stars-trained hotshot.

He came from behind the mad mammoth Heaven Rocks to win the Summer Cup in national record time for a 2200m standing start last time and is clearly one of the fastest pacers in the country over 200m.

That gives driver Tony Herlihy options tomorrow. Star Galleria should lead and if he is feeling big and bold as a speedster sometimes can rolling around Cambridge on a sunny afternoon, Herlihy has the option to stay in front and make Vincent cover more ground to beat him.

A more likely scenario is Vincent pushing for the lead and getting it but if Star Galleria can use the passing lane to beat Heaven Rocks he has at least some hope of doing the same to Vincent. "My fella had a slight virus after his Summer Cup win but is good now and the draw gives Tony options," says Reid.

"Maybe Vincent will be too good but I think we have things in our favour a bit so we will get our chance."

While you can make at least some case than Vincent is vulnerable, it is impossible to do the same with Speeding Spur in tomorrow's $50,000 Flying Mile Trot.

With Monbet sidelined again, Speeding Spur is the best trotter racing in the Southern Hemisphere and while Temporale beat him at Alexandra Park a week ago Speeding Spur was magnificent considering his second line draw and that he had to come wide in his first start in nine months. His trainers believe he has improved with that outing and he has rolling gate speed so should be able to work to the front, which would surely be race over unless he underperforms.