Harness
Australian Harness Racing Preview – Saturday, July 26
The inside draw should give last-start winner Fashion Icon every chance to strike again in the Listed Winter Gift Final, feature race at Menangle on Saturday night.
Fashion Icon has the gate speed to take advantage of the barrier so could prove hard to catch again.
Still Rollin starts from the other end of the line but is racing well, winning at the circuit two back before placing last week.
He has built a good record at the distance with five wins and three placings from 12 attempts and has the pace to push forward from the barrier.
Alta William overcame the widest barrier when winning last week so the draw closer to the pegs can see him competitive again while Jilliby Fabio and Raging Sea are deserving of respect as they both come from similar barriers to what they had when winning last week.
Trainer-driver Luke McCarthy has several key chances at the meeting and could kick off the night in winning style courtesy of Kingmaker in the opening event.
The nine-year-old has had four weeks off since disappointing over further last time but was racing very well prior including back-to-back wins at thecircuit and distance, one at Listed level.
He has finished behind race rival Ubetcha Tigerpie at his last couple but draws inside that rival and goes well when fresh.
Ubetcha Tigerpie is hard to knock having won four of his last five starts at Menangle, two at Listed level.
Most of those were over further but he did score at the mile last month and while he starts from the outside he is going well enough to overcome that.
Rock N Roll Doo disappointed last time but there was merit in his other two starts this time in and he is capable of much better.
Hy Poactive added to a string of top-two finishes when winning from a wide barrier at the circuit and distance last time. This race is stronger but the class rise is offset by the good draw while No Heart Throb was solid from a wide draw last time and missed narrowly prior so can go well.
McCarthy will also unleash two interesting newcomers to his stable headed by Group 1 placegetter Kingman who switches from the Victorian barn of Emma Stewart along with the progressive former Kiwi Rakero Ice who won twice at Menangle for Seaton Grima late last year.
The Andy Gath trained and Kate Gath driven gelding has put four wins together at the circuit, three of them from the back row where he starts again on Saturday night.
Later on the program light-raced trotter Lady Vici makes her first appearance since April last year but she ended that maiden campaign with five straight wins and has been readied for her return with a trial win.
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