By Michael Guerin
It may be 14 months since American Me last won a race but it was the quality of that victory that suggest he is the horse to beat in the main race at Alexandra Park tonight.
The Ashburton pacer returns to the north and trainers Brent and Tim White appear to have found the ideal race in the $20,000 Classique Landscapers Pace (6.22pm).
He is on a 25m handicap but only has four rivals in front of him, of which two share a 10m handicap, so being a fast beginner American Me should be in the body of the field soon after the start.
From there his best form makes him the horse to beat even though he hasn’t won a race since May last year.
That race though was the listed Roy Purdon Memorial, in which American Me beat Self Assured, Old Town Road, Don’t Stop Dreaming and two subsequent Auckland Cup winners in Better Eclipse and Republican Party.
Six months before that he won the Group 1 Invercargill Cup and was a player at New Zealand Cup level, relishing the lung-searing nature of elite level racing.
He has struggled to return to that level in the last eight months but Brent White says he likes what he has seen lately.
“He had one of those interrupted seasons at the back end of last season when we couldn’t get him spot on,” he says.
“But he trialled well recently and Blair [Orange, driver] gave us the thumbs up to go north.
“We thought there were two or three races up there over winter that would suit him, with maximum back marks and maybe small fields and this has come up like that.
“He is getting older, like all of us, and maybe isn’t quite as quick as he used to be but I think he can still have a very good winter up there.”
Orange’s son Harrison, who is having a remarkable season and leads the North Island driver’s premiership, will partner American Me ($1.65FF).
For punters who don’t like backing horses who have been off the winner’s list for so long it is hard to find a logical danger to American Me but Seaclusion ($5.50) is a mare in form who driver James Stormont is adamant can be just as potent driven with a sit.
Tonight’s meeting continues a heartening run of strong winter cards at The Park with plenty to keep punters interested, with the first race, the Lone Star Alexandra Park Handicap Tot (4.48pm), a good trotting race in which the conditions suit Hillbilly Blues.
That could start another night of trotting domination for trainers Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett, who have one of the better value bets of the night in Viscount Mackendon in Race 6, the Star Personnel – Metro Trotters Series Hat 1 (7.29pm).
He has been running on well behind high class three-year-olds in recent starts and meets easier opposition over 2200m tonight so if he can make the most of barrier 1 his $6 opening fixed odds price will be over the odds.
The stable also have Manchester’s Moment and Maro Mackendon as winning chances in the last race, the Mondiale VGL – Metro Trot Series Heat 2 (8.56pm).
Earlier in the night the $34,000 Woodlands Stud Silk Road Final is a rarity in that Princess Of Savoy (R2, No.6) is the warm favourite even though she burned punters by galloping in the score up last Friday.
There is no doubting her promise but with the 2200m mobile containing plenty of depth her $2.45 opening price was a touch surprising.
