A nine-strong team of runners will carry the hopes of local trainers Ken Rae and daughter Kystal Williams at Ruakaka on Saturday, with a trio of promising two-year-olds set to feature at the finish of the ITM/GIB 2YO Winter Championship Final (1200m).
Whiskey Lies and Dancing Dream look likely to dominate betting in the feature race for the juveniles while Rae is confident of an improved showing from their third runner, Time And Tide, who was unplaced against her stablemates at her debut outing a fortnight ago when hampered at the start.
“This is a big day for the local trainers with the finals of the different events for the winter championships and we’re hoping we can get a slice of the money on offer,” Rae said.
“It would be nice to think we could win at least one race, but it won’t be easy as I think the depth of the fields is very good and the visiting trainers will be looking to knock us off our perch as quick as a wink.
“We do seem to do pretty well when we race here and I would guess our best chance of a win is in the two-year-old race as we have a couple of proven types who have been in outstanding form.
“It is hard to split them although Whiskey Lies has made a liar of me with his last two wins as I thought the filly (Dancing Dream) was a better horse and would beat him both times.
“She drills him in trackwork every time they step out together, but he seems to know when it is raceday and lifts himself.
“He has done that all the way through, even his trial at Avondale before he won his first race was very disappointing and then he came out and won so he has had me scratching my head a fair bit.
“Dancing Dream is going to make a lovely three-year-old as I think she is going to get better over a little more ground and that’s the same feeling I have about Time And Tide.
“She (Time And Tide) didn’t have any luck first-up as she got put out of it at the start, but she didn’t give it away and tried hard in the run home.
“Her work has been good and I think she is the big improver.”
Rae and Williams also hold a strong hand in the ITM/GIB 3YO Winter Championship Final (1600m) with Heart Of Aladdin and Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) placegetter Mischief Managed.
“Heart Of Aladdin was very unlucky last time as he got caught wide from an outside barrier and Kelsey (Hannan, jockey) couldn’t get any cover,” Rae said.
“He still kept going strongly to the line after doing all that work and got third which was pretty impressive.
“He gets barrier four on Saturday so hopefully he gets a far better run just in behind the speed.
“On the face of it Mischief Managed has been a little disappointing but she is now starting to get up to a distance that she enjoys.
“Kelsey will ride her on Saturday and the 2kg claim will be a big assist to her chances.”
With fine weather forecast for the weekend, Rae is expecting a good crowd in attendance where he and his daughter can fly the local flag proudly.
“We only have about 20 in work at any one time, so to have nine runners makes it a big day for us,” he said.
“It will be a lot of work but one thing I’ve always said is that hard work won’t kill you and we’re hoping the effort we have put in will be rewarded.”