By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk
Cambridge trainers Andrew and Lyn Neal are heading north to Alexandra Park on Thursday confident of coming home with at least one winning cheque from their trio of runners.
Trifolium will be vying to ditch his bridesmaids tag when he lines-up in the Bonded NZ Handicap Trot (2200m).
The five-year-old has finished runner-up in his last three starts, pleasing his trainers who are hoping he can score his maiden victory at his 29th attempt on Thursday.
“He is always looking to get that win,” Lyn Neal said.
“He trained super on Tuesday morning, probably the best he has trained.
“He has to race against one-win horses this week and there are a couple of good form horses in there but I think he is in the right place and mood to get that win.”
Neal said Trifolium has been a frustrating horse at times, but she believes he is finally starting to reach his potential.
“With how well-bred he is, he has been pretty slow coming to it,” she said. “But in saying that, he is a gorgeous horse to take to the races.”
While Trifolium has been an absentee from the winner’s circle, stable time Winners Time has not, living up to his name in his last two starts.
He will contest the BDO Auckland Handicap Trot (2700m) on Thursday and his trainers are hoping for a three-peat.
“He has really improved,” Neal said. “After his work on Tuesday Andrew said ‘no wonder he has won two in a row’, he is really in the zone at the moment.
“We are putting a junior claim (Zev Meredith) on him this week. I can’t see why he won’t go well again. He is really on the up-and-up.”
While Neal is confident of strong showings from her two trotters, she believes the stable’s best winning chance is Claude despite drawing the outside of the second line in the GFC Fasteners & Construction Products SOTB 2022 (1700m).
“Only the draw will beat him,” Neal said.
“Put a line through last start. We freshened him after that as it was a fairly hard one for the little chap.
“He has had a nice freshen and we couldn’t be happier with him.
“Todd (Mitchell) is going to take the reins this week and Andre (Poutama) is still under suspension.
“He is in a good vein of form for us, we are expecting him to go well.
“We are just mindful of the draw and distance.”
