By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk
Reigning Cambridge Horse of the Year She Reigns will be out to claim a home track feature scalp when she heads to Cambridge Raceway on Thursday.
Nine of her 14 wins have come on the track and she will be vying to add a maiden stakes win to her tally when she contests the Gr.3 Les Harrison Transport Cambridge Flying Stakes (2200m).
But co-trainer and driver Dylan Ferguson admits she will have her work cut out for her to beat multiple Group One winner Bolt For Brilliance.
She Reigns finished fourth behind the talented trotter when fresh-up at Cambridge earlier this month and Ferguson is expecting an improved run from his mare.
“She went super,” said Ferguson, who trains in partnership with Graeme Rogerson.
“Just being fresh-up may have cost her third in the dying stages but they went track record time, following a couple of champion trotters, so it was certainly no disgrace to run fourth.”
The daughter of Monarchy will face a similar line-up on Thursday but with the noticeable absence of Temporale.
“Not having Temporale in there changes us from running for third to a chance of running second,” Ferguson said.
“She faces a similar field this week apart from him, but I would be very surprised if we could beat Bolt For Brilliance. I would be rapt if we can run second to him.
“He is a great racehorse. She has run second to him in the past and hopefully she can do it again.
“She loves racing at Cambridge. It’s a shame there are not more races for her grade there. She certainly won’t disgrace herself on Thursday.”
Ferguson will also line-up a handful of other runners on the undercard, including High Point in the Betavet Morrinsville Cup/Cambridge Gold Cup Heat 1 Handicap Pace (2700m).
“She has been racing great and she is knocking on the door for another win,” Ferguson said.
“Standing starts usually suit her pretty good, she is normally one of the first ones away. If she can do that again she will put herself into the race and she won’t be far away.”
Jaccka Cooper is another Ferguson is hoping can improve on his last start runner-up effort when he tackles the Win A Travel Voucher This Summe At C.R. Mobile Pace (2200m).
“He is a bit of an enigma in the stable. He seems to have a bit of bottom to him but he struggles to put his legs in the right direction,” Ferguson said.
“It is certainly a winnable race for him if he does put things together.”
Evergreen trotter Still Eyre will be out to add a ninth win to his name in the Ike Unsworth Cambridge Trotters Gold Cup Heat 1 (2200m).
“He is a great old campaigner and he always trots the whole way and puts himself in a winning spot,” Ferguson said.
“From the 20m makes it a bit tricky for him, he is a bit better suited when he is off the front or close to it.
“You always know what you are going to get with him and he will put his best foot forward and try hard again. Whether he is in the right spot to win will depend on how we get away.”
Ferguson’s team will be rounded out by Whiskey On The Rocks in the Woodlands Stud Mobile Pace (2200m).
“He has been racing okay since he debuted at Palmy,” Ferguson said.
“He comes up with a good draw (1), but racing against Ideal Funding is not going to be much fun for him.
“He has drawn to sit handy but we might have to throw the tow rope out to run second to another nice horse.”
