Ambitious plans for Hawkeye Pierce starting tonight
By Michael Guerin
Trainer Logan Hollis would love to see talented pacer Hawkeye Pierce race for $900,000 in stakes in just six weeks this summer but he might need your help.
Your help meaning if you intend buying a slot in the new Three-Year-Old Pacing slot race to be held at Addington on Show Day (November 15), which is where Hollis would like to see Hawkeye Pierce end up.
The exciting pacer resumes in a talented-packed race at Alexandra Park tonight (8.16pm), the Purdon and Phelan Racing Metro Heat No.2, which was designed to bring the very best under R55 pacers in the north together.
It looks like it is working as tonight’s heat is a beauty with plenty of open class type ability in the field which gives these horses a chance to qualify for a $35,000 final on September 6, the first of the new finals as harness racing starts to flex the muscle of its new $10million stake increases.
Hollis says Hawkeye Pierce is ready to roll as he has been in work since winning here on June 27, beating subsequently impressive dual winner Always A Porsche.
“He went well at the workouts two weeks ago, they ran fast sectionals and he was hard held so he is ready to go,” says Hollis, who trains in partnership with Shane Robertson.
“He has a wide draw and it is a good field and I will probably drive him myself since Tony (Herlihy) is away but we think he can win.”
He does meet some classy pacers including Mako (2 from 3), last-start winner Invisible, Kings Watch (winner of his last two) and Jeremiah, who was just behind the absolute best three-year-olds in races like the Northern Derby.
Hollis says Hawkeye Pierce can mix it with that company and winning this heat and final would set him up nicely for a huge summer treble after the sale of his hotshot stablemate Christopher Dance, who has headed to West Australia after being runner-up in the Northern Derby.
“We’d love to get this guy a slot in the new $500,000 three-year-old race on Show Day,” says Hollis.
“And if he is going well enough to do that we would probably stay down there for the NZ Derby [boosted to $300,000].
“Then he could even come back here for the Golden Gait Finals night which is worth $100,000 so these good three-year-olds can race for big money.”
Whether he starts down that path by winning tonight may well depend on tempo and the early scramble as with plenty of fit horses in this field capable of a sub 2:40 for the 2200m mobile, being off the markers may not be a lot of fun.
Mr Kaplan returns at Addington tonight
By Michael Guerin
Nathan Purdon is adamant that Mr Kaplan is ready for her return to racing at Addington tonight (8.08pm).
He just thinks she would be even more ready if it was 1980m instead of the 2600m she faces in the race of the night.
Mr Kaplan returns in a small but select field, with her biggest dangers looking to be Fernetti, last week’s naughty boy Black Mach and last-start winner Molly Belwin.
The former Herlihy-trained Mr Kaplan has always looked a talented mare in the making and Nathan, who still trains in partnership with father Mark, thinks she can be a factor in the best mares races later in the year.
“She has some class and she has come up well,” he tells HRNZ.
“She has trialled well and I think she can win but with it being 2600m instead of 1980m the tactics could be a little trickier.
“Over 1980m with her gate speed I’d be keen to see her go forward and take bad luck out of the equation but being 2600m that might not be the best thing for her.” Not that Purdon has to worry about that much, with multiple premiership winner Blair Orange doing the driving.
Purdon will have a surprise driving change on one of three two-year-olds he lines up earlier tonight in Race 3 with father Mark in town and set to drive The Bettor Deal (No.1).
As everybody knows Mark is now domiciled in Matamata with a very small star-studded team of harness horses alongside his gallopers.
But he has been returning home “every couple of weeks” to drive some horses in work and fancied having a race drive behind one of the two-year-olds.
“There isn’t much between them as they are all nice horses but we think The Bettor Deal could develop into a smart horse.
“So he could be the one, it will be interesting to see what Dad thinks.”
The Bettor Deal made really good ground when fourth fresh up but was lazy at the start from barrier 1, the same draw he faces tonight and will need to get out a lot better (excuse the pun) to secure the right type of run in what looks a very even field.
FRIDAY NIGHT BETS
1: Jasinova (Alex Park, R5, No.1) Run down late in far better field last Friday. If she races up to that form should win.
2: Always B Elite (Alex Park, R3, No.6): Raced elite three-year-olds last campaign and second in very quick last 800m workouts a fortnight ago. Has class edge.
3: The Bettor Deal (Addington, R3, No.1): Ran on really strongly on debut and big driving change tonight. If he can stay handier the one to beat.
