A larger, better and more experienced Arcee Phoenix (Trixton) returns for a second crack at the group 1 Renwick Farms Dominion Drot in Addington in November.
Trainer-Driver Chris Svanosio admits that last year’s NZ Cup Week-Harnas Race Racing campaign was just as good about “Building Foundations” as it hoped to win.
Arcee Phoenix is only a few weeks away from a return to racing, after he had a refresher on July 19 after his final victory of Brisbane Inter Dominion in Albion Park.
“He was home again on Tuesday after the victory of Brisbane and had a few quiet weeks, but we picked things up again,” said Svanosio.
“He loved free time and quickly bounced back. I am really happy with him.
“Working for a few more weeks and he will be tried and then we will start a campaign to get him to Christchurch for the Dominion in November.”
The Dominion is a 3200m standing starting race, so Svanosio knows that he must be strategic in the run -up racing.
“Standing start exercise, in races, not alone, is what we focus,” he said.
“If that means that they mix races here with a trip to Menangle to find suitable standing start, then we do it.
“It was not ideal when he went for the Dominion last year with a really limited starting experience, but we looked it as a way to build a foundation to come back 12 months later with a more experienced and experienced Renpaard.
“We think we have that with the year he has had and now it is down to more standing exercise.”
Svanosio said that the $ 60,000 Group 1 Bill Collins Sprint on Victoria Cup Night – Melton, October 18 – would be the only big target of Arcee Phoenix before he crossed the ditch.
“The plan is to have the standing start racing done by that time, switch to the mobile for the Bill Collins and then transfer to NZ,” he said.
Arcee Phoenix is an experienced traveler, especially for NZ, where he has been three times, most recently won the huge tab rot in Cambridge in April.
“The journey does not bother him,” said Svanosio. “But part of the reason for the first two trips was to prepare him later in his career, now when he is on his absolute peak.
“As big as a sensation was as it was to win the Tab prot, especially if his really big breakthrough profit, it would be even better to win the Dominion because of the history behind the race, which is a big thing for me, and the big horses who have won it over the years.”
Through Adam HamiltonFor Harnas Racing New -Zeeland
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