Silver Power out to defend Cambridge crown

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk

Silver Power will be out to defend her crown in the Group 3 Harcourts TA – Waikato Trotting Breeders’ Stakes (2700m) at Cambridge Raceway on Friday.

The five-year-old mare headed home a quinella for her sire Monkey Bones in last year’s running, beating home fellow grey Emma Frost to win the second edition of the race.

“Last year it was our goal to win it, so to achieve that was great,” said Brett Edwards, who trains the mare in partnership with his father Ted.

They have once again circled the Group Three feature has a key goal this year and Edwards has been pleased with her form heading into the race.

“This year we have spaced her racing,” he said. “She won that race on Christmas Eve and then got third last start, Zac (Butcher, driver) reckoned if she got out 30m earlier she would have won that race.”

Silver Power will start from behind the 30m tape and Edwards is hopeful she can bring home the winner’s cheque once again.

“We have got high hopes that she will pull it off,” he said.

“Off that mark with a few horses in front of her she is going to need a bit of luck, but hopefully she can make a bit of luck too.”

Silver Power is unbeaten at Cambridge Raceway and her trainers are keen for that record to continue.

“She seems to love Cambridge, she goes well down there,” Edwards said. “She has had two starts for two wins, so hopefully we can go three from three this week.”

Friday will be the third edition of the Waikato Trotting Breeders’ Stakes and Edwards said it’s a vital race on the racing calendar for trotting mares.

“They need more of them,” he said. “The trotting mares don’t have a lot of races, so it is quite good to have them around.”

Silver Power will be having her last start in New Zealand for some time on Friday and will head to Australia to continue her racing career next week.

“She is off to Aussie on Wednesday. We are going for the Country Cup meetings,” Edwards said.

“She is going to Jack Mackinnon’s where she will stay until virtually the end of the year and the plan is to bring her back in foal and race her in the first few months in-foal and then retire her.