By Michael Guerin
The two highlight winners at Alexandra Park on Friday may be at different ends of their careers but they are both heading in the same direction.
And that is the Golden Gait Finals at Alexandra Park next month for both Lord Popinjay and Captain Sampson.
Veteran trotter Lord Popinjay continued the best form of his life when he overcame a 30m handicap in the main trot for in-form driver Monika Ranger.
He had every reason to be beat at it looked like he would struggle to catch the leaders at the top of the straight but won so well you wonder how far he could have gone but for having an interrupted career.
“He is in a real purple patch of form at the moment,” says trainer Matty White.
“He actually had a hoof issue at the start of this campaign and I wondered about going on with him but he recovered quickly and he raced himself into peak form.
“He is eligible for the Harness 5000 at Ashburton but he will stay up here and contest the Golden Gait.”
White says with Lord Popinjay racing so well he might even give him his shot at a few open class targets if races like the National Trot come up light on numbers.
Another horse who could have headed south but will instead stay at Alexandra Park is Captain Sampson, who was impressive again beating some proven open class horses in the main pace.
“He went great and it is no easy feat beating some of those horses second up,” says co-trainer Gareth Hughes.
“Obviously there are races down at Addington he could go to but if we look after his now he will pay us back later.
“So he will go to the Golden Gait and there are a few other handy races around then and some really good targets next year.”
Friday’s two Metro Finals were taken out by deserved Alexandra Park regulars with Confederate winning the pace leading home a Purdon/Phelan quinella while Bravehearthighlander overcame a 20m backmark in the Metro Trot to give young driver Jacob Dunn his richest win yet.
