By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk
Group One winner Temporale will be back to his happy place on Thursday night, behind the mobile at Alexandra Park.
The Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett-trained eight-year-old has won 11 of his 17 careers starts from behind the gates, all at the Auckland track, and he will look to add to that tally on Thursday night.
The son of Monarchy showed he was back to his best in his first-up effort at Alexandra Park a fortnight ago where he put in a herculean effort off his 50m handicap to beat all but Resonate home over the 2200m trip.
“It was a really good run, we didn’t expect him to get that close, but he just stepped away so well and got handy early, which was the making of the race for him,” Wallis said.
Rated 34 points higher than his nearest rival, Wallis is expecting a good result from her charge on Thursday, especially from the mobile.
“He is so good off the mobile, he is going to be tough to beat,” she said.
Temporale will head to Christchurch in November on a two race mission, but his trainers are electing to keep him in Auckland for as long as possible in the lead-up.
“We will stay up here as long as we can, but if the numbers drop off then we will have to head down south,” Wallis said.
“The Dominion (Gr.1, 3200m) will be his main target, but we will probably go down for the Free-For-All (Gr.1, 1980) as well.”
Wallis and Hackett will also line-up six other square-gaiters at Alexandra Park on Thursday.
Rain Mist And Muscle, Magnafique, and Hill Of Peace will contest the Lonestar Alex Park Performance Of The Night Handicap Trot (2700m).
“Rain Mist And Muscle just missed away at her first start for us. She had been trialling really well. If she can get away and get handy she should run home well,” Wallis said.
“Hill Of Peace is the best one of our three in there, but she is also very inexperienced. She has only had two starts for the one win. She is good enough if she trots all the way.
“While Magnafique is near the end of it.”
The Waiuku trainers will also line-up a trio of runners in the Speeding Spur Tender Closes 23 Oct Handicap Trot (2700m).
“Invictus is a lovely horse,” Wallis said. “He went well first-up, we were happy with him. He just got squeezed going into the first bend and had a gallop. He came home really well for second. Off the front, if he steps well and gets handy he shouldn’t be far away.
“Red Castleton is probably a notch below the other two and Vatican Hill is quite a smart horse in the making, but his manners aren’t 100 percent yet. He has got speed, so he can sit off them and if he does everything right he can run over the top of them.”