Ashlee Terry admits she’s unsure what to expect from promising homebred youngster Incendio in Sunday afternoon’s Restricted Wins final (350m) at Healesville – Race 5 at 12.14pm.
Incendio, a son of Barcia Bale and Terry’s 2017 Group 3 Healesville Cup placegetter Burn Like Fire, has won five of his nine starts, with all his victories coming at Healesville; however he was beaten at $1.50 when third in his heat of the 3-6 wins series on Tuesday.
“I was a bit disappointed to be honest,” Terry said.
“We did have to scratch him from his previous start after he hurt himself at home so he was a little bit underdone, so I’m hoping he’ll go a bit better on Sunday.
“I’m not sure what to think about box eight. Normally I would want him drawn near the fence because he usually smashes to the fence but he did shift up the track a bit in his heat and he has won from box six at Healesville and went good (19.39sec).
“He’s a quick circle dog too but he’s a big dog and is very awkward in a field, he doesn’t really know what to do. He’s a bit hit-and-miss early and around the circle they can get into more trouble than up the straight.
“He does have a fair bit of ability and I do have expectations of him because I know what he trials.”
Incendio inherited his affinity for the straight from his mother Burn Like Fire, which won 23 of her 36 starts, including seven from 11 at Healesville.
“Another dog from the litter called Combust is actually a lot faster than Incendio but he’s even more awkward in a field and needs things to go his own way,” Terry said.
“He’s a very fast dog but he’s had a couple of injuries and is more of a ‘500’ dog.
“Burn Like Fire has had a second litter to Fernando Bale that’s eight months old and she’s in pup again to Superior Panama.”
In the following event, Race 6 at 12.34pm, Terry’s partner Nathan Rooney is chasing back-to-back victories in the Rodney Thorneycroft Memorial (350m) with Aston Clurey.
“He’s a very honest dog and won the same race last year but it’s a very good field and he won’t want to do a lot wrong,” Terry offered.
Terry also has an interesting runner at The Meadows on Saturday night in NSW import Hennessey, which is making his second Victorian appearance after a runaway first-up victory at Warragul.
Awkwardly drawn in box four in a very hot second event at 6.57pm, Hennessey, the winner of two of his five starts, is a $7.50 chance with TAB.
“He’d been trialling well before his Warragul win, but he definitely wants the fence and he’s a bit hit and miss,” Terry said.
“He gives every indication he’ll get ‘500’ but it’s a very tough race for a Grade 6. There’s two dogs that have run 29.30sec at Sandown (Aston Rhone and Substantial) and another dog that’s broken ‘30’ at The Meadows (Talbingo Bale).”
WATCH: Hot prospect Incendio (2) records a comfortable 16.95sec win over 300m at Healesville on April 20.
