Not many trotters can win fresh up at carnival time - then again, not many are as good as Our Sunny Whiz.
The West Auckland mare returns to racing at Alexandra Park tonight, facing a hot field in just her fourth career outing, but trainer Ken Sefonte isn't fazed.
"She
has done the work and she is ready," is his confident assessment of race two tonight.
Our Sunny Whiz caused a stir over the winter when she won two of her three starts, being disqualified from second in her other.
That alone would have been impressive enough but it was how she won her first two races that really stamped her as an open class mare in waiting.
She won her debut by 13 lengths while next start she beat classy filly Petite Sunset by nearly four lengths in a national 3-year-old record for a 2200m standing start event.
So while she is undoubtedly good enough to win even against horses like Taylamade Dee and George Castleton tonight, her manners, while fresh, would seem the biggest concern. Not for Sefonte.
He took Our Sunny Whiz to the Alexandra Park workouts last week and was thrilled when she not only trotted safely throughout but did not have to be asked for her best to keep up with open class trotter Rosscoe in the home straight.
"The main reason I took her there was to make sure she would trot all the way and she did that no problem. Maurice [McKendry, driver] was very happy with how she trotted.
"She has plenty of work in her so I can't see why she won't be very hard to beat. What will help her is being off the outside of the front line, apart from the unruly horses, which means she won't have to come into line straight away."
For all her ability Our Sunny Whiz will need to be close to her peak as Taylamade Dee slayed similar opposition here last week while George Castleton also looks open class potential.
