By Michael Guerin
Trainers Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett have the dominant hand in four trotting races at Alexandra Park tonight but one of their runners has more motivation to perform than the others.
The training couple can win all four trotting races depending on luck and manners but it is Aldebaran Keepa (R5, No.10) who could seal an extended trip to Victoria for group 1 targets if she wins.
The three-year-old filly is a last-start winner and has raced well at the elite three-year-old level behind the likes of Masterly and Highgrove but Wallis says she is best placed in Australia.
“She has three or four more big races she can target over there culminating in the Breeders Crown,” says Wallis.
“She only has the one real target here and in that she would probably have to take on Double Delight who we probably can’t beat.
“So if she races well this week that will seal her trip to Aussie and initially Bernie will go with her.”
Aldebaran Keepa takes on four stablemates in the rating 45-56 over 2700m and while she is off a 15m handicap so too is Emma Frost, who Wallis rates the toughest to beat.
“Emma Frost was good here last week in a far stronger field so she might even be our better chance.”
The stable often dominates lower grades trots at Alexandra Park and a new monster trotter in Aldebaran Allblack could continue that run if he behaves in race 3.
“We have two in that race and he won well at the workouts but still has a lot to learn.
“He is huge, the biggest horse I have ever trained but if he gets it right he will be the one to beat.”
The stable has three in the main trot of the night and Wallis hints it could be a good race for Special Way (R7, No.2).
“He is a funny horse in that he is far better out and rolling and if he could get that tonight, get to the front, he would be hard to beat because he gets a head start on our other two.
“But it is a nice, competitive field.”
Drum N Bass (R9, No.3) has come up favourite in the last and while Wallis thinks he can win she says he is too short.
“I thought $2.8 was a bit too short for him because he hasn’t shown us enough since we have had him to say he will just win.”
