Arthur Shelby aiming to go four from five at Addington tonight

[Wandering Eyes]

By Michael Guerin

Trainer Brendon Hill has no concerns about Arthur Shelby stepping up in grade at Addington tonight.

Because he knows where the exciting pacer is heading.

Arthur Shelby has won three of his four starts and was brave beating Trump Card in a R50-60 race at Addington last Friday.

He moves into R58-69 grade in the Share The Dream With Woodlands Stud Mobile Pace (8.35pm) against the likes of Xlendi and Radha tonight but Hill says the son of Bettor’s Delight isn’t finished winning yet.

“I am not saying he will win this week but he is definitely heading to a better grade than this,” he told HRNZ.

“I have had horses like Dalton Bromac, who won 10 races, and I think this horse is in his class.

“He may have to try something different this week as he has barrier 1 and while he won his maiden from that draw trying to lead all the way in this grade could be harder.

“Whether he can do that I don’t know, or whether he even trails then re-takes.”

That decision will ultimately lie with Hill’s 19-year-old son Seth, who has driven Arthur Shelby in all three of his wins and with 13 victories this season is already ahead of the total he won for the whole of last term.
 
“Seth is driving really well and we are proud of him,” says Hill.

“He has been a big part of this horse’s success with those wins earning him four ratings points instead of eight.”
 
Even with the discounts Arthur Shelby, named after the character in Peaky Blinders, looks headed to the verge of open class so punters could do worse than take his $2.10 tonight.

“He is getting better all the time. Last week I gave him his first serious heat training over a mile and he worked like a good horse.”

Meanwhile, Hill says his stable star Renegade will contest the Superstars at Addington next Friday and he is working back from New Zealand Cup day with the big pacer.

“We gave him his chances in those country cups races so he could tell us whether he is going to mature into a good standing start stayer in time for something like the Cup.

“Hopefully in the spring we will know whether we have a Cup horse of a Free-For-All horse.”

Tonight’s trotting feature is the TK Plastering About Now Handicap for the female trotters and after her easy last start win in Sires’ Stakes Aged Classic, Nellie Doyle has to be the one to beat.

She downed Rowe Cup contender Mighty Logan that night and her improvement curve still appears to be on the up for trainer Tim Trathen.

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