Ohoka Connor and Bet N Win's Friday night return

It's Friday night and that means racing at both Auckland and Addington, with highly talented pacer Ohoka Connor fresh up at Alexandra Park as is rising trotting star Bet N Win at Addington. 

Ohoka Connor to make northern debut 

By Michael Guerin

There is no doubting who the best horse in the main pace at Alexandra Park tonight is. 

In fact, Ohoka Connor is clearly the best horse at the entire meeting.

But co-trainer Steve Telfer is still not tipping the giant pacer as a good thing in his comeback race, the IRT. Your Horse. Our Passion Mobile Pace (9.06pm) even though he is rated 23 points superior to his rivals.

Ohoka Connor hasn’t raced since running second in the Junior Free For All on IRT New Zealand Cup day.

He's since moved to Stonewall's northern base where trainer Steve Telfer has changed his training to include a lot of swimming to improve some soundness issues.

“There was nothing too bad with the legs but you like to stay on top of these things,” says Telfer.

“But because he isn’t spending as much time on the track or working as hard as he usually would there is still an element of finding out what works best for him under his new training regime.

“He had a really good run along last weekend and he is ready to go back to the races but he obviously can’t be at his peak.

“So I don’t think he will be rushed early this week from the wide draw.”

With Alexandra Park having a mobile race possibly suitable for Ohoka Connor almost every week between now and the $1m Race by betcha at Cambridge on April 4, Telfer says he can afford to go into tonight’s race on the fresh side and use that consistent racing programme to bring Ohoka Connor to his peak if he is to end up in the Stonewall slot in the race.

That presents punters with a curly one tonight as Ohoka Connor could feel full of himself and still beat up on his opponents or three-year-old rivals like Greased Lightnin or Rubira could get a fair way in front of him and slip home in 55-odd seconds to win.

Rubira was good winning fresh up but tonight’s race is stronger and he has another wide draw.

Greased Lightnin will go a long way to showing trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan where he sits in the three-year-old pecking order with his performance from barrier 2.

“He has impressed us more every time he has gone to the races and we think he can step up again,” says Phelan.

“A lot might depend on what run he gets but we wouldn’t be surprised if he won.”

The trotting feature of the night has easier form lines to read as in-form mares Belle Neige, One More Moment, High Energy and Faith In Manchester square off again in the $40,000 Fisken And Sons Breeders Stakes (8.36pm). 

Belle Neige has been flying winning three of her last four starts but was beaten fair and square by One More Moment off the same marks in a comparable race at Cambridge last month and there seems a lot less between the pair then the opening market would suggest.

One More Moment will have a new driver with Joshua Dickie taking the reins in a 2700m standing start where early manners and the field position they buy could be crucial.

Bet N Win poised for winning comeback at Addington 

By Michael Guerin

This is one of those good news, bad news type stories if you are considering backing Bet N Win in his Addington comeback tonight.

But ultimately you get the feeling it will end up being good news.

The wonderful trotter who exploded up our open class ranks through the spring returns in the $40,000 Lamb And Hayward Classic (7.19pm), his first step toward the TAB Trot (April 4) and ultimately even the Inter Dominions at Albion Park in July.

The race has only drawn a field of six, with Bet N Win off 20m but at least getting a 10m start from the in-form One Over All and he opened $1.70 with the bookies.  That will seem great money if the speedster rolls to the lead at any stage but co-trainer David White admits that isn’t his first instinct heading into the race.

“Ideally we would like to see him being driven with one run, if the small field allows that,” says White.

“He hasn’t done a lot of that in his career and we’d like to add that string to his bow this campaign but that will ultimately be up to Bob (Butt, driver). 

“He is ready to go but we have a long campaign ahead so as people would expect he should keep improving.”

Bet N Win looked his usual sharp self winning a trial with a final 400m in 27.3 seconds last week and in the small field it is hard to imagine him being too far off the lead and/or key rivals One Over All and last week’s big trot winner Midnight Dash.

White says he and wife Stacey are thrilled with Bet N Win’s development over his summer off and think he will return not only physically stronger but mentally more mature after his very successful first open class campaign.

He isn’t the only proven open class force returning on Friday night as former NZ Cup placegetter Beach Ball is back in the Peter Lagan Standardbred Pace (7.50pm), albeit facing the outside barrier draw over the mobile 1980m.

He meets not only Dalton Shard, who was excellent in some of our biggest races through the spring and summer, but the up-and-coming pair of Bazooka and Next Level.

Add in Built For Glory, who was huge after an early standing start mistake last week and Who’s Delight and it is an intriguing little race.

Other highlights at Addington include exciting filly Beside Me stepping up against some hardened old campaigners in Race 5, the Breckon Farms Thanks Buyers Mobile Pace while Race 3 sees one of the more surprising maiden trotting debuts for a while. Dynasty makes her race debut in the gait for trainer Bob Butt after suggesting enormous promise as a three-year-old pacing filly last season.