By MICHAEL GUERIN
Two sharp workouts have boosted confidence in the camps of New Zealand Cup winners Yulestar and Homin Hosed as they start their Australian campaigns.
The pair were put through their paces at Robert Cameron's stables on the outskirts of Melbourne yesterday in preparation for tomorrow night's $A40,000 Ballarat Cup.
The race is the first lead-up to the $A250,000 Victoria Cup and $A400,000 Hunter Cup at Moonee Valley over the next month.
Both would appear to be going into the race short of peak fitness, Yulestar having only had one start in over two months and Homin Hosed having not raced for over a year.
But their trackwork yesterday suggested they may be closer to the mark than previously thought.
World 3200m record holder Yulestar was first on the track and paced 2400m in 3:6, his last 800m in 57 seconds without being pushed.
That is significantly faster than he would usually work at his Hawera home and will be enough to secure him favouritism for tomorrow night's race.
Earlier in the week Yulestar had been listed as a $4.50 equal favourite for the Ballarat feature with fellow northern pacer Ouch, who has the advantage of the ace draw and recent racing. But yesterday bookies were indicating he will start shorter than that as news of his final trackwork got out.
"We were happy with the way he worked and his general condition. We are looking forward to having him back on the track," said trainer Lorraine Nolan.
Homin Hosed worked straight after Yulestar and paced 3:8 for 2400m, his final 800 in 57.3 seconds.
"That is a good effort for him because he is not a great track worker," said driver Todd Mitchell after a phone call from trainer Bryan Macey in Australia.
"But he probably isn't going to be ready to win this race because he has been away from the track for so long.
"Still, if he is running on at the end we will be happy."
Mitchell flies to Melbourne to drive Ballarat tomorrow in company with Tony Shaw, who will continue his association with Yulestar.
But before then Mitchell will team up with one of his rivals tomorrow night in Mark Purdon. Purdon will drive Ouch tomorrow night and is already in Melbourne so has engaged Mitchell to drive Lavros Kisumu for him in race eight at Alexandra Park tonight.
The former southern pacer disappointed when well-supported at Alexandra Park last week but would appear better suited by the 2700m distance tonight.
The race has been robbed of hot favourite Quick Tip, whose bad luck of the last month continued when he was scratched yesterday after a minor paddock injury, which is not expected to keep him away from the track for long.
The small field will provide a good opportunity for one of last season's star 3-year-olds Mike's Pal to return to form.
His form has been below par since a brilliant return to racing in early December and he galloped and lost all chance when well supported in the Elliot Futurity Final at Cambridge last start.
While his best form has been over shorter distances he has a killer sprint when saved for one run and Tony Herlihy can secure such a trip for him tonight he can win at each-way odds.
While Quick Tip will be missing tonight his trainer Steven Reid has two top chances for some compensation in Sharp Response in race three and Prince Of Flight in the last.
Sharp Response meets an even easier field than the who he dealt to at Cambridge last start and as a tough stayer his outside draw should not worry him.
Prince Of Flight has no such concerns in the last, having drawn the ace, and he has the luxury of not going up in class after his last-start Thames win because that junior drivers' event was penalty-free.
The other highlight tonight will be the first appearance of the juvenile trotters for the season.
Before the race has even started it is a remarkable triumph for trotting's stallion sensation Sundon, who is the sire of all seven starters, a timely achievement with the yearling sales just seven weeks away.
Sunny In Louisiana won the corresponding non-tote race last Friday but the field has real depth for this stage of the season.
Racing: Northern stars shine in Australia
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.