Kentuckiana Lodge’s northern two-year-old team are ready to take advantage of the key draws they’ve been handed at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

Chevrons Bypass and Mitsi Gaynor will again go head to head in fillies company in the third heat of the Young Guns Series. 

And Impressive debut winner Casino Action will seek career win number two in the fourth colts and geldings heat of the two-year-old championship.

Kentuckiana Lodge was unable to avoid the bug that has been causing havoc in stables across the upper North Island in the past fortnight.

Blood tests after the two-year-olds competed in the first round of heats revealed the trio were not at best on race night.

“As it has been well publicised there has been a bug going around Auckland and it resulted in only 53 horses racing at Alexandra Park last week,” Cran Dalgety said.

“Our three went to the first heats of the Young Guns looking fit and bright, but it wasn’t until we took bloods after the race that we knew they were not quite at their best.”

“The good thing is they are back to where they should be and we can expect them to race up to how good we think they are this time.”

Mitsi Gaynor did not look below her best in her last outing when going bolting up the home straight with nowhere to go after being stuck three back on the fence.

After copping barriers 9 and 5 in her first two starts, the Sweet Lou filly moves to barrier 4 on Friday night.

And from there she should prove very hard to beat.

“It certainly wasn’t ideal last time, it did look like she had plenty to offer when she was looking for room,” Cran said. 

“Her blood work showed she wasn’t at her peak either, so we can turn the page completely on that run.”

“She is fit and healthy and bouncing around and we would like to think she would have plenty to show them from the four-hole this week.”

Chevrons Bypass ran a solid fourth in her first-round heat earlier this month.

“She ran a pretty solid fourth, things were pretty rosy until the bend and you couldn’t say she had all the luck in the straight,” Cran said.

“Her last 100m was very encouraging and with everything that has gone on she should be a better prospect this time.”

“She just keeps improving this filly, she will run well.”

Casino Action was clearly not at his best in his last run at Alexandra Park.

But he has been feeling like his old self in the lead up to Friday night’s Young Guns heat for colts and geldings.

And from barrier three the Bettor’s Delight colt should take all sorts of catching.

“He is bright and bubbly again which is great because he clearly wasn’t himself last time.”

“He is a quality colt and from the good draw we would like to think we think he would be in it for a very long way.”

by Jonny Turner

Kentuckiana Lodge also has runners at both Addington on Friday night and Rangiora on Sunday.

Addington – Friday night

Twilight Bromac – Race 1

Trixton Time – Race 2

Invaluable – Race 6

Rangiora – Saturday afternoon

Shards In Manhatten – Race 6

Chloe Rose – Race 10