The Kentuckiana Lodge truck will head to Oamaru on Wednesday with a four-horse team and high hopes.
The chance to qualify for the Southland Oaks and Southern Supremacy Finals has led to Darby O’Gill, Coney Island Lou and Black Pearl travelling south.
The trio will be joined by Ajira who makes the trip after landing in a suitable race.
Darby O’Gill and Coney Island Lou have both landed nice draws in their attempts to qualify for the Group Two Southern Supremacy Stakes Final.
Both come in after their last starts turned pear-shaped, but Cran thinks the pair are ready to put those runs well and truly behind them.
“Darby O’Gill won very nice first up but then he didn’t get much of a crack at them in his next start.”
“The horse in front of him held him up but he got to the line well, considering it was a 26sec quarter.”
“It is a tidy enough field but we think he can hold his own in this kind of company.”
“Coney Island Lou had a wee gallop early at Addington which was pretty uncharacteristic for him.”
“Though things haven’t panned out for him in his two starts back, we have been very pleased with the way he has come up.”
“If he gets the chance to show that, with a little bit of luck going his way for a change, he can be right in it.”
“They are both nice horses and they’ve drawn inside the hot shots, so we are hopeful they can both run well.”
Black Pearl heads into Wednesday’s Southland Oaks heat after an excellent win at Ashburton.
The filly only needs to repeat that performance to give her rivals plenty to think about.
“She was very strong to the line at Ashburton after doing some work in the middle stages.”
“She has come through that run well and we head south hopeful of another good effort.”
“It looks like a competitive field but there’s no reason she can’t stand tall among them.”
Ajira heads into race 9 at Oamaru following a very gritty effort at Addington.
The pacer only has to run up to that effort to be very competitive.
“He ran super at Addington and he has come through that run well.”
“If he performs like that again he is going to give them plenty to think about.”
Carter Dalgety drives Ajira, Black Pearl and Coney Island Lou with Blair Orange to drive Darby O’Gill.
