Trish Dunell
Cambridge trainers Andrew and Lyn Neal will line-up three horses at their local meeting on Friday night.
The husband and wife duo will kick-off proceedings with A Better Dancer in the Black Dog Furniture Mobile Pace (2200m), and they are hopeful of a form reversal from their galloping pacemaker.
“We thought we would put him into the amateurs race so that he would receive a draw, and just to see where we are at with him,” Lyn Neal said.
“He just keeps on drawing number eight and he has got no speed. At Cambridge you have to go back with him and he can’t get into the race.
“He is fit and well, but it will just be a case of see what happens. He has got a good driver.”
A Better Dancer has drawn barrier three and will be driven by Sheryl Wigg and Neal believes the gelding has the potential to add another victory to his win tally.
“If he got the right trip one day he is capable of winning another race.”
While Neal is more hopeful than confident with A Better Dancer, she is looking forward to four-year-old trotter Monsinee contesting the Kembla NZ Handicap Trot (2700m).
It will be the second start for Monsinee and her trainers were pleased with her debut performance on Tuesday despite the mare breaking towards the start of her race.
“I was really happy with her,” Neal said. “She just got a fright when the back markers went inside her at the winning post. She doesn’t usually make mistakes, but she just got a fright.
“She hit the line well after all the ground she made up.”
Monsinee is a daughter of Group One performer Madisonz Luck and Neal believes she has inherited the ability of her mother, although they are still trying to get over one issue with her.
“She is a really tidy little trotter, but unfortunately she just has a little bit of an issue that she doesn’t trot the corners that well,” Neal said.
“We had been working on it for a long time. We are getting around, but if ever we fix that issue I would say that she would do what her mother did. She has got a lot of ability. We are still working on it, but we are very happy with her.
“It is quite a tidy field for a maiden trot at Cambridge, but she will be on the improve, definitely.”
Although in the early stages of her racing career, the Neal’s are already eyeing a broodmare career with their $26,000 yearling purchase.
“We will definitely breed from her next year. We paid quite a bit of money for her and we wanted to have some to breed, so that’s out long-term goal with her.”
The Cambridge conditioners will end the night with Ideal Agent in the Mico Plumbing & Bathrooms Mobile Pace (2200m) and they are confident of a good showing from the three-year-old colt.
“He is very well. He wouldn’t normally race at Cambridge, but he is just having a little bit of an issue at the moment getting around Auckland. He is just getting in a little bit and touching his knee.
“He has got an elderly owner from Tauranga who can’t travel to Auckland to watch him race, but he can come to Cambridge. Sometimes it’s not all about the money.
“He looks really well in that field.”
Meanwhile, the Neal’s are excited with the prospects of in-form trotter Credit Master.
The son of Muscle Mass is undefeated in his two runs this preparation, taking his win tally to nine ahead of next month’s Inter Dominion series at Alexandra Park.
“He’s great, we are just ticking him over,” Neal said. “He will race next Friday at Auckland and then it will be straight into the Inter Dominion.
“It’s incredible for us and to have them at Auckland, we don’t have to travel far, we are very lucky.” – Cambridge Raceway
