By Jonny Turner
With tailormade conditions at Methven on Friday, Scared Stiff just needs a slice of luck to get reward for his consistent recent form.
Rather than scared stiff, the Terry Chmiel trained pacer was dead stiff when running an unlucky third in his last start at Oamaru.
Chmiel weaved a path up the home straight and when clear the four-year-old hit the line powerfully for a close up third.
Scared Stiff looks to get an ideal opportunity to go two places better under race 9’s 1700m standing start conditions on Friday.
As much as his trainer-driver would like to go out and take control of the event, Chmiel will stick with the pacer’s preferred racing style.
And that means Scared Stiff will need a touch of luck.
“He has been racing good, but he is just one of those horses that you have got to drive like that.”
“If he could get away and get a nice run somewhere and I look after him he should finish it off nice.”
“If he could be midfield that wouldn’t be too bad, it is not an overly strong field.”
“He just needs to step away which he usually does.”
Sacred Stiff was the $4.50 fixed odds favourite for race 9 on market opening.
All Together Now heads to the races for the first time in over a month to start in race 7 for Chmiel.
Though the pacer doesn’t have the benefit of recent racing he has impressed his trainer in his recent work.
“He is just going in fresh, but his work has been really good.”
“I am not sure how he will go on the grass, but he feels like a different horse than how I have had him going.”
All Together Now, who has the ace draw of barrier 1, was rated at a $9 win price on fixed-odds market opening.
Chmiel also starts Snow Robyn in race 2.
The filly did some early work in her last start at Oamaru before fighting on for fourth.
“I was quite happy with her because she burnt hard in the wind and they went the quickest time of the day.”
“She had to race the boys too, which is never easy.”
Snow Robyn, who has drawn barrier 6 with two emergencies inside her, opened at a $6.50 fixed-odds win price.