Swain hoping for big week

By Jonny Turner

Aaron Swain is hoping for a fruitful week in his home province, starting at Ascot Park on Wednesday.

The trainer has brought Ideal Double south for her debut in race 2 on the back of strong Canterbury trial form.

The filly is a daughter of the very well-performed Southland racemare, On The Double.

Whether Ideal Double can put together a record as good as her mother’s is yet to be seen, but her recent trial win at Ashburton suggests she can make a mark of her own.

“She has been a work in progress, she doesn’t know much,” Swain said.

“She was late to be broken in, but she is coming on good now.”

“I will leave it up to Nathan to decide what to do, but I would think she would be able to lead from the draw (3).”

“But, I think she would be just as good coming off the back of another horse too.”

“So, we will just see what happens.”

“She has been working good, so I am expecting her to go a pretty good race.”

“She has done everything right so far, but it hasn’t been under race day conditions.”

“With first starters you just never know, anything can happen.”

Swain is the caretaker trainer of Bettor Fly and he has brought her south to start in race 5 on Wednesday.

Trained by John McDermott, the mare has produced consistent form recently including a fifth in a stronger race at Addington last week.

“Unfortunately one of John’s workers had an injury, I get on pretty well with the McDermotts, so I said to John I could lighten the load for him,” Swain said.

“I have done a bit of work with her – nothing on a track but a lot of road work and she seems to be working well.”

“I gave her a start at Addington on Friday and she went a good race.”

“She seems to have travelled down well and I am expecting a good run from her."

Swain also starts De La Renta at Saturday’s ground-breaking meeting at Ascot Park where Southland’s first-ever Group One race of any code will be staged.

The mare comes into race 4 after producing an outstanding fourth placing in her last start at Winton.

From last at the home turn, De La Renta charged home wide on the track in an eye-catching effort.

The mare gets a big draw upgrade on Saturday, going from barrier 13 into barrier 2.