By Jonny Turner
Resolve just needs to be in the right mood to be a force at Motukarara on Sunday.
The Paul Nairn trained mare comes into race 9 on the back of a tidy performance on New Zealand Cup Day.
After working three-wide in the final lap, the three-year-old stuck to her task to finish fourth in an effort that pleased her master trotting trainer.
“I was happy with her run, I have been pretty happy with her right through and I thought she went a pretty good race on Cup Day,” Nairn said.
It may not be Resolve’s talent that decides whether she is up to winning her 2170m standing start assignment on Sunday.
The filly just needs to be in the zone so that she can bring her best manners.
“Generally, she is pretty good but she is a sensitive wee horse and if anything upsets her she can get a wee bit of a bee in her bonnet.”
“The day she missed away she went to buck and she half-pie went to kick and I think it was just that the cart was just a wee bit small for her.”
“And it was the first time she’d had a back number on and she just felt something different.”
“It is just little things like that, so I suppose you could say she is pretty sensitive.”
“But she wants to do it, wants to trot and she tries.”
Resolve opened the $2.20 fixed odds win favourite for race 9 in front of second favourite Bryan Boru $5.
Bryan Boru beat Resolve home two starts ago when second behind K D Hawk at the Kaikoura Cup meeting.
The trotter then ran seventh behind Love N The Port on New Zealand Cup Day in his only outing since.
Nairn also starts Full Of Hope in race 6 on Sunday.
The five-year-old’s ninth on Show Day behind Oscar Bonavena might not look flash on paper but the trainer was happy with her performance.
“She actually didn’t go a bad race in her last start, she got a little bit of a check in the straight too, so she actually could have finished a little bit closer.”
“There are no Oscar Bonavenas in this one.”
“With the ratings she drops down into this race and I’d like to think she would be a good show.”
Full Of Hope opened at an $8 fixed odds win quote behind the race favourite, Kenny Keko ($3.80).
Robbie Close drives Full Of Hope with Bob Butt to take the reins behind Resolve.