By Jonny Turner
With grass track form on the board, trainer Brad Mowbray’s team is ready to make an impact at Oamaru on Saturday.
Mowbray will start recent turf winners Spicy Girl Becqui and She’s Tough alongside maiden Bombolla.
She’s Tough looks a key player in race 8, a heat of the Family Feud Drivers Series.
The four-year-old comes into race 7 for driver Dylan Ferguson with three starts for two wins on grass and following an excellent last start effort at Ashburton.
“She seems to pace a bit better on the grass,” Mowbray said.
“She was a bit scratchy at the start as Ashburton and then before that at Oamaru she was horrible around the south corner.”
“But she was really good when she won on the grass at Methven, so hopefully she can do the same at Oamaru.”
“She seems fit and well within herself, so fingers crossed she should be a good chance.”
In a handy middle-grade field Standout and She’s Tough’s regular driver Matthew Williamson look the toughest pair for the Ferguson and the Mowbray trained mare to hold out.
The John Morrison trained pacer ran a good third in the final event on New Zealand Cup Day behind Riveered in his last start.
Spicy Girl Becqui looks another strong chance for Mowbray in race 7, another heat of the Family Feud Drivers Series.
Another grass track specialist, the mare should get every chance for driver Jay Abernethy from barrier 1.
“I am hoping that one might get across and she might be able to trail or even if she was three-back she would be pretty hard to roll if she had a pretty sweet trip and got home.”
“For some reason, she is a little bit better on the grass, she seems to let down better.”
“If she is ever going to go really good, it is always on the grass.”
B K Swy also comes out of Riveered’s win on New Zealand Cup and looks one of the hardest horses for Spicy Girl Bequi to beat.
Jay Abernethy will combine with the Brent White trained mare.
Bombolla gets an excellent chance to break his maiden with Matthew Williamson in the cart in race 3, an event outside the Family Feud series.
The four-year-old went sound races in his last two starts before a short spell when slow away from the mobile and then making up good ground.
Bombolla left the gate well in a recent Ashburton trial, where he ran third behind race rival Not Over.
“I was really happy with his trial, he hasn’t got a lot of speed,” Mowbray said.
“They ran home in 25.7sec (400m), so I was rapt.”
“He is a good stayer, so he should love going up the hill at Oamaru.”
“In that field, he should have a good show.”
“He has been missing away and going pretty good races.”
“The horse that beat him at the trials is in there, but they are not going to run home in that time on the grass at Oamaru.”
“It will be a totally different kind of race.”
Santeria looks the main threat to both Bombolla and Not Over on Saturday.
The five-year-old has produced good thirds in much stronger fields in her last two starts.
