By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk
While many are focused on Cambridge for their Grins Night of Champions tomorrow, Paul Nairn brings a small but capable team to Addington Raceway for their seven-race programme tonight.
And the top trotting trainer reckons he’s some sort of show of taking some of the spoils as well.
In race 2, the Lone Star Sires’ Stakes No 39 Prelude Mobil Trot, he’ll drive Confessional, while stablemate Tectonic, who’s gunning for a hat-trick of wins, will again be driven by the country’s top junior driver, Sarah O’Reilly.
“Confessional missed away last week and that cost him and he has been working well,” says Nairn, “and Tectonic is going well, he could be a bit hot-headed in the past but he’s more tractable now and he has matured.”
Nairn rates Confessional, who’s won three from nine, as the tougher of the two, with Tectonic having more speed – “he does have a good sprint”.
“They are both in the mix for sure.”
Looming large in the race though is the unbeaten High Energy. Trained by Mark and Nathan Purdon, the Father Patrick three-year-old has won all five career starts and has looked very impressive in doing so, especially when winning on Grand Prix day last December. She opened a $1.70 favourite, with Tectonic and Confessional both at $6.
The field also includes two last start winners in Fight For Freedom and Sunnys Sister.
In Race 6, the Hydroflow Handicap Trot, Nairn teams up with Tu Tangata. A winner of three from 13 he was most unlucky last start at Addington on Easter Saturday when he was carted back then flew home wide to finish fourth in the race won by Missalyssa.
It had next upper written all over it but as a R58 horse tonight he finds himself up against the likes of I Dream Of Jeannie (R69) and Sioux Princess (68) who will both start off the backmark of 20 metres.
Tu Tangata opened a $2.40 favourite with the TAB, with I Dream Of Jeannie at $3.80 and Sioux Princess at $7.50.
“Sioux Princess has been running super races, and at times against Muscle Mountain.”
“But I have a nice team and I hope they will go well.”
