Mike Ross one to watch fresh up at Manawatu

[Wandering Eyes]

A nine race card at Manawatu today kicks off another busy harness racing week, with eight meetings between today and Sunday.

Auckland on Friday will see Heat 2 of the $16,000 Metro Trotters and Pacers Series ahead of the $35,000 final at Alexandra Park on March 21 as well as the Group 3 $40,000 Greenland Cup Handicap Trot, the Group 2 $70,000 Caduceus Club Ladyship Stakes for the 3YO Fillies, the $60,000 Group 2 Alabar 3YO Classic and the $40,000 Group 3 Founders Cup.

As part of Friday Night Lights Addington’s meeting will feature the $100,000 Group 1 Fred Shaw Memorial New Zealand Trotting Championship.

Invercargill will have a short and sharp meeting on Wednesday with Wyndham on Saturday while Manawatu is on today and on Thursday and the annual Team Teal campaign will wind up at Motukarara and Wingatui on Sunday.

Mike Ross one to watch fresh up at Manawatu

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk 

A winner last campaign, Mike Ross returns to the races at Manawatu today, with plenty of confidence in the camp.

The Dylan and Jo Ferguson-trained three-year-old has won one from eight with an upset victory at Cambridge last October.

Dylan Ferguson, who has six drives at Palmerston North, says Mike Ross is looking like the pick of them in Race 4, the Arna Donnelly Stables Mobile pace (5.42pm).

“We think a trip away will do him good and it was a case of finding a nice first up option for him and I think he’ll be hard to beat.

An there are some big races at Alexandra Park in his immediate future.

“He’ll go to the Harness Million and the Derby not necessarily because we think he can win it,” he says, “if he could run in the top five in either of those races we’d be ecstatic.”

Since markets opened Mike Ross has come in for some support, and is now at $3.20.

As for the rest of Ferguson’s drives?

“They are honest enough chances and at the end of the day a lot of the fields are even and it will come down to who gets the run. If I can pick up a few cheques to pay for the diesel I’ll be happy.”

Ferguson will kick off his day with one of their own, Monaro Meg who has been backed and beaten of late in Race 1, the D S Electrical Handicap Trot (4.19pm).

“She was a little bit disappointing last time (Alexandra Park, February 28) but maybe it was a case of second up syndrome. We couldn’t find anything wrong with her and that’s why she’s on the truck to Palmy.

“If she can get away and she has a 30 metre start on the others so she won’t be out of place.”

Ferguson-trained stablemate Scott will line up in the second, the Bryant-Walker Mobile Pace (4.49pm).

“He’s run the odd good race – he’s just our galloping pacemaker at home but we have a space on the float.”

“We thought we’d throw the hobbles back on and give him a run.”

“If he earns a bit of money we’d be rapt, we don’t know how he is going to go to be honest but he’s fit enough and this class of horse suits.”

Other drives on the day :

Cool Phelan for trainer Brodie Ellis in Race 3, the Michael House Stables Handicap Trot – “she’s always honest and whatever she does she will improve on”

Benson Dude for trainer John Kriechbaumer in Race 6, the Equivets NZ Mobile pace  – “not driven him before, and it’s a good draw for him ..and he’s right at home with that field.”

and Bugalugs for trainer Chris Webber in Race 7, the Outback Trading Mobile pace – “Ðrawing one suits as he likes the fence …. I think it’s about eight years since I last sat behind that horse, I don’t know who has matured better – him or me!”

This week’s meetings : 

Tuesday, March 11 – Manawatu 
Wednesday, March 12 – Invercargill
Thursday, March 13 – Manawatu 
Friday, March 14 – Auckland 
Friday, March 14 – Addington 
Saturday, March 15 – Wyndham 
Sunday, March 16 – Motukarara 
Sunday, March 16 – Wingatui 

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