If you thought Ray was good in his comeback race three weeks ago wait till you see him at Addington tonight.
That is the warning from trainer Tim Butt who says his latest trotting star has improved enormously heading intothe $20,000 Ordeal Cup, the first feature trot of the season.
Ray returned from a near two-year layoff to win fresh-up on August 27 but did it on class, with his gait getting rough inside the last 200m as his lack of fitness was exposed.
Butt says that won't be an issue tonight and he expects the 6-year-old to win again.
"He was only 60 per cent fit when he won last start," he says matter-of-factly.
"We threw him into that race because it was either that or trialling but since then we have been able to get a lot more work into him.
"He has been working 4:20 for 3200m and will be a lot fitter this week. With his class and the fact some of the open-class horses aren't there I think he will win."
Butt's confidence is not so high in tonight's $20,000 Avon City Ford Cup in which some of New Zealand's best pacers return.
He has Stunin Cullen and Raglan up against Monkey King and Bondy and says the standing start and tempo of the race should dictate the outcome.
"I am sure my horses are up to winning, especially Stunin Cullen because he has that x-factor.
"But Monkey King is still the best pacer in New Zealand and to beat him you need to be in the right place.
"That means handling the standing start and then either being in front of him or on his back. You can't come from two horses behind Monkey King to beat him."
Stunin Cullen trialled in sensational fashion at Rangiora last Saturday and has a fitness edge over Monkey King tonight so gets his best chance to beat him.
"And Raglan has improved a bit, too, on his win fresh-up, so while we will need luck we have two good shots at winning it."
Racing: Ray ready to zap rivals in Ordeal Cup
Trainer Tim Butt. Photo / Mark Mitchell
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.