Inter-provincial rivalry on the line in tonight's Classique at Addington

By Michael Guerin

It might be advantage Canterbury over the Southland visitors when the three-year-old trotting fillies’ season goes up a cog at Addington tonight.

Each province has two high class and exciting trotting fillies, with a strong support crew, in the $60,000 Macca Lodge Sires’ Stakes Classique, the Group 2 over 1980m mobile (7.45pm). 

It sees the return of the two Southland fillies Duchess Maria and Imperious Girl up against the race fit locals in Petite Amour and Marikit, that fitness giving the Cantabs an advantage.

But the men behind two visitors admit their challenges don’t stop there.

Duchess Maria was clearly our best juvenile trotter last season and has real x-factor wrapped inside her tiny frame but trainer-driver Nathan Williamson says a lack of a lead-up race and a wide draw won’t help her remain unbeaten in her first start for nearly a year.

“She was going to race two weeks ago but missed that because of a little niggle so that doesn’t help,” says Williamson.

“And being drawn the widest means she might have to settle back.

“Now I did say that when she raced at Addington last season and she actually got keen behind the gate and led so there is no guarantee I can drive her with a sit.

“But there are some really nice fillies drawn inside her so she faces a big task. 

“We all know how good she is and she is working well but I wouldn’t be surprised if she got beaten.”

Craig Ferguson says his unbeaten filly Imperious Girl has travelled north well but Addington is the great unknown for her.

“It is hard to work out Southland form against what you see at Addington,” admitted Ferguson.

“And then she has the new experience of the lights and it is only her second mobile start.

“I am 90 per cent she will be okay with all of that but it is turning into a really good crop of trotting fillies and that is still with Our Col to come down from up north.”

Both Duchess Maria and Imperious Girl could win without surprising but the fact Marikit and Petite Amour have race fitness on there side is hard to ignore.

Petite Amour has been excellent her whole career and has gate speed which could see her cross most if not all of her rivals early and if she does then she becomes the horse to beat.

But Marikit has seemingly turned up out of nowhere for master trainer Paul Nairn and won like a very good filly against older horses last Friday.

Put those two fillies in front of their Southland rivals with a lap to go and it is going to take a really special filly to run then both down.

As enticing as the trotter’s race is there is plenty to keep punters interested at Addington tonight with Chiggsy (R8, No.4) looking perfectly placed to win his Woodlands Sires’ Stakes heat, especially with speed machine Faith Not Fear drawn one on the second line.

Some high class three-year-olds pacers in Forever Miki (R9. No.4), Cath and Kotare Rimu clash over 1980m mobile while earlier Team Telfer dominate the handicap pace with J T Boe (R4, No.8) and Bar Louie.

And the very open looking two-year-old southern fillies pacing crop get a chance to establish some sort of pecking order in Race 6.