Racing: Zvezda better now than in 2003 Thorndon win

Kay Lane was never going to be one of the dozens of trainers who got cold feet at taking on Calveen in the Thorndon Mile tomorrow.

If anything, the closer the Trentham feature gets the more convinced Lane is that Zvezda will defend his 2003 title.

"He's going into this race better than he was two years ago," said Lane, who also owns the Otaki six-year-old.

"He's not jarred up and he's at the start of his campaign rather than coming to the end of it.

"It's a pretty good field but I don't rate it any better than the one he beat two years ago and he only has half a kilogram more this time."

Ironically, Lane's arch-rival tomorrow, Calveen, is now trained by Zvezda's 2003 Thorndon winning jockey, Lance O'Sullivan.

Zvezda's regular rider since his comeback from two career-threatening leg injuries, Hayden Tinsley, will need to be at his brilliant best to hold out the small but star-studded 2005 line-up.

But Lane at least knows that Tinsley has options on where he can place the 1600m winner at the cup carnival for the last two years.

"I'd like to see him sit back a bit because I'd like to have another try at 2000m with the horse. But we could just as easily stuff up Maroofity and lead like we did with Figurinit at Taupo."

Lane warns punters to read nothing into Zvezda's last-start defeat by the vastly improved Sovereign over 1400m at Awapuni two weeks ago.

"It was a month between runs and he was just too fat for that."

Lane is looking for a win from Zvezda to confirm a tilt at the Doncaster Handicap in Sydney.

Yesterday the TAB had Zvezda at $11 on the fixed odds market for the Thorndon and a $60 chance in the Doncaster.

Meanwhile, Lane is hoping stablemate Figurinit can make amends for his chequered Telegraph Handicap attempt at Awapuni tomorrow week.

The 1400m specialist was no hope with the luck he got last weekend and Lane is still aiming the horse toward the Stradbroke Handicap in June.