Racing: Miracle needed to beat flying Kiwi Ingenuity

If rival trainers are hoping a miraculous mile has taken the sting out of Kiwi Ingenuity for tonight's Northern Breeders Stakes at Alexandra Park they are in for an unpleasant surprise.

Because trainer-driver Robbie Holmes says the great mare is the best she has been all season heading into tonight's $30,000 third leg of Pick6.

Kiwi Ingenuity drops a stratosphere in class after finishing fourth in Monkey King's 1:50.8 Miracle Mile at Menangle 12 days ago.

While she gets no official mile time for that day, Kiwi Ingenuity proved by burning early and then still taking ground off the leaders in the last 50m that she is now a world-class mare.

And Holmes says the big girl is just getting warmed up.

"She has only had the three races this campaign and she always gets better with more racing," he said.

"She was good as gold after the race and has come through it remarkably well."

After some time relaxing at Raglan Beach, Kiwi Ingenuity was transported to Graeme Rogerson's training track on Monday for a right-handed scene-setter for tonight.

"She has always hung a bit left-handed so she should be more comfortable right-handed and she works like that is the case.

"So I am rigging her gear the same way as always and I am going to drive her like the track won't be an issue because I think it won't."

While Kiwi Ingenuity has firmly established herself as one of the best open-class pacers in Australasia, she does meet her female arch-rival in Nearea Franco tonight and the latter has the advantage of an inside draw.

"We have gone up against her a few times and made her work and to be honest we have always come off the better," says Holmes.

"So I think we have the respect now to get the front this week and I don't think they will run her down."

All of the mares in tonight's feature are being set for the group one Queen Of Hearts next Friday so it is hard to see rival drivers wanting to get into a potentially damaging war with Kiwi Ingenuity.

That being the case, she should be a Pick6 anchor.

Nearea Franco is, however, coming off a fine second to Monkey King in the New Zealand Free-For-All last month and worked well before the races at Alexandra Park last Friday so is the obvious quinella.

Trigirl Brigade is racing well but has a terrible draw, while last season's champion filly Lauraella has picked a tough race to return in and is likely to be driven cold.

Pick6 punters looking for anchors have two obvious choices in Changeover (race six) and Sovereignty (race nine).