Scott Phelan knows how to fight better (Bettor’s pleasure) and Jeremiah (Lazarus) are in the public class.
What their co-trainer of Harness Racing does not know if that is good enough to win their comeback race in Alexandra Park tonight.
The two four-year-olds resume for Phelan and senior training partner Barry Purdon in a serious 1700m scamper in Alexandra Park tonight, against Akuta, who was super expensive for gamblers when he was beaten in a similar race two weeks ago.
Akuta should be fitter that night for his third and can be ready to be driven aggressively with co-trainer Mark Purdon who takes the reins tonight, open from $ 1.40 with the tab.
But his defeat showed that Akuta is still very much on the way back after 20 months away from the job and Phelan would like to exploit that.
“We all know how good Akuta is, so he is the one to beat,” says Phelan.
“But we are very happy with both of us. They work well and are ready to go and while most horses improve with their first run in this class, we think they are reasonably ready.”
While Akuta has won a NZ Derby, Taylor Mile and Auckland Cup, Better Knuckle Up has actually won a race that is worth almost as much as those three group 1’s together if he achieved the first running of the $ 500,000 Velocity Slot Race in Addington in November.
That was the highlight of a gradual increase due to the three -year figures last season and he is undoubtedly an open class pacer in the making, although most horses in the long time need at least a few races to acclimatize.
“Both horses will be cup horses this time next year,” says Phelan.
“But that does not mean that they cannot win this week if Akuta is again vulnerable.
“While Better Knuckle Up has the big race victory on the board, I actually think there is very little between them and if I had to select one above the other this week, it could be Jeremiah.
“He was a bit of a learning curve last year, but he seems very sharp now.”
Add akuta and the talented the surfer and the field has more moving parts than the market can suggest, even after scratching treacherous baby.
Phelan says that their best open class Pacer Merlin as well as the gamblers, Duchess Megxit and Cold Chisel will all practice in less than fourteen days as the first two target on the Spring Cup on September 19.
“Ideally, they will stay here for most of their NZ Cup campaigns, we would like to give them three here before they go south.”
The Purdon/Phelan Barn has a strong hand tonight while they start rolling out around 25 horses that are ready to race the following month.
“I think Confederate will be a good chance this week, his run last week should really have attracted him.”
The stable has the beautifully bred No More Dreaming (R2, no. 5) who makes his debut in the Tab Racing Club colors in a stacked youth race and Phelan says that while he can run a lot from tonight’s experience.
Two Jules (R4, no.5) has been a sharp improver since he came to the north to become a member of the stable and Phelan says she can win again, while tonight’s meeting also sees a rarity in three mobile trotraces in Alexandra Park in this phase of the season.
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Through Michael GuerinFor Harnas Racing New -Zeeland
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