By Michael Guerin
Outstanding pacing filly Beside Me’s winning chances at Alexandra Park tonight have been given two mini boosts by the withdrawal of just one rival.
The big Canterbury filly is the warm favourite for the Pascoes The Jewellers Northern Oaks Prelude on a night when the three-year-olds take centre stage for a rare Thursday night meeting at The Park, the date change coming as there is no domestic racing on Good Friday or Easter Sunday.
Tonight’s meeting sees Marketplace red hot to win the prelude to next Friday’s Woodlands Stud Great Northern Derby while some smart three-year-old trotters go around in a lead-up to the Breckon Farms Northern Trotting Derby, albeit tonight’s race missing the best of that crop in Meant To Be.
But it is the fillies race that holds the most interest tonight as the crop has yet to really sort itself and that pecking order won’t be definitive after tonight either as one of our star fillies Stella Rouge will now miss the 2200m race.
A brave last start winner of the Harness Million on February 21, Stella Rouge is one of the key members of this crop but will miss tonight’s race after her blood report wasn’t perfect yesterday.
“She doesn’t need to start in this race as it is only a prelude but she will still be good to go for the Oaks next week,” says co-trainer Steve Telfer.
Stella Rouge missing tonight’s race is a bonus for those who will start as she is a high class filly but it probably aids Beside Me most.
Both she and Stella Rouge were drawn wide so the latter being scratched means not only is the field smaller and weaker but there is less likelihood of early or mid-pressure that could have forced the hand of young Carter Dalgety driving Beside Me.
While punters who took the $3 boosted odds from the TAB for Beside Me would love to see her stroll to the front and win easily, co-trainer Cran Dalgety would prefer more options.
“Sure, that would be great if she can lead and win but it doesn’t always work out that way,” Cran says.
“We are a week out from the Oaks and you’d hate to go forward, have them humming early and have a hard run without winning.
“Carter drives her great and she has been awesome on the front end or settling and coming into the race later and now, with the smaller field and one of the big names out, she won’t have as many to run past if she doesn’t go off the gate.”
This crop looks to have real depth but with Stella Rouge scratched and smart southern fillies General Jen and Captains Mistress not here only Arafura (1) and Without You (4) look to have the raw talent to test Beside Me.
They both beat her home last start when the trio trifectaed a similar race at Cambridge and while initially disappointed Dalgety soon changed his tune.
“Not much went her way that night and I wasn’t sure what to make of it until I saw they went a 1:51.8 mile rate for the 1700m and then you realise she went great.
“I actually think that race has brought her on because we were a bit soft on her before it and she will be a better filly this week.”
That should be enough to see Beside Me get her revenge and she will be a multi anchor for many punters alongside Marketplace (R5, No.6), who should win the Derby Prelude even though he has the outside draw in the six-horse field.
The trotter’s contest has a clear favourite in Habibti Pat (R7, No.7) with her main concern being tonight is her first race start right-handed and she did gallop when trialling that way at Pukekohe last week.
Countering that could be the fact many of her rivals tonight are also southerners and therefore also lack experience right-handed.