Racing: Practice making perfect

It wasn't perfect but it was a hell of a lot better.

That is the bottom line of Te Kanarama's second visit to Alexandra Park yesterday for a dawn workout aimed at resurrecting his Interdominion campaign.

The New South Wales speedster had been the biggest fixed odds drifter in the pacing section after making a mess of his Alexandra Park debut last Saturday.

In that workout Te Kanarama hung before galloping wildly on the tricky top bend of the right-handed track, a performance that saw him drift from most favoured of the Australian pacers to an $11 chance.

Trainer-driver Graeme Watts liked what he felt yesterday a lot more though, with Te Kanarama cornering far more comfortably.

The five-year-old was driven into the top bend solo twice before again taking it at speed in a workout with the Canterbury stablemates London Legend and Scorching.

While not asked to stretch out completely, Te Kanarama showed the benefit of the addition of bloomers to his rear hopples and a shoeing change.

"He felt a lot better out there today," confirmed Watts.

"I think he is going to keep getting better and there is no doubt he corners better here when he is up against the markers.

"I am not panicking though, I never really was. What will happen will happen."

With his workout primarily to get Te Kanarama balanced he didn't take a serious part in the final section, which was won impressively by London Legend.

He paced his last 800m of an otherwise sedate 2400m workout in 56 seconds, pleasing Dalgety.

"He is a better trackworker than Scorching but I was happy with both of them," said Dalgety. "What I am not so happy about is Scorching being in Elsu's heat. I think we are all running for second there."