By Michael Guerin
Todd Mitchell is looking forward to getting back on two speedy trotting stablemates at Alexandra Park even though he knows he might just be keeping the seat warm on one of them.
The four-time New Zealand Cup- winning driver partners two winning chances from the Wallis/Hackett stable including one of the big movers of the northern trotting spring in Belle Neige (R6, No.10).
Belle Neige won three races in a month in August-September and while Mitchell has driven her before he gets on tonight as regular driver Crystal Hackett will be at Addington for the New Zealand Junior Drivers Champs.
“She is a really nice mare so it will be good to get back on her but it isn’t an easy assignment,” admits Mitchell.
“She is off a decent handicap and it is a good field for this grade.
“I am sure she is being aimed at the mares Group 1 trot in a few weeks so she should improve with the run and I actually thought her stablemate Hillbilly Blues would be hard to beat off the front.”
The latter has always looked an open class trotter in waiting as he can peel off 57-second last 800m sectionals and is developing the strength to compliment that speed.
It is a deep field though and a rarity being an 11-horse race at Alexandra Park in which any one of them could win without surprising.
Earlier in the night Mitchell partners Shesgold (R4, No.4) in a far easier race and she is back doing what she loves best.
Shesgold has had five career wins and all have been in 2200m standing starts, four at The Park and two with Mitchell in the sulky.
“You can forgive her last run because she got parked out on a strong speed which doesn’t suit her but this looks more her race,” says Mitchell.
“And I think she is best with two weeks between her runs so she gets her chance on Friday.”
Shesgold meets a progressive trotter in Stone Cold and a horse showing talent in Hill Billie Bundy as well as the once-promising Levi in a tricky little field.
While other trotters like Look To Da Stars (R2, No.10) will attract plenty of punter attention tonight the class race of the meeting is the handicap pace in which Captain Sampson (R7, No.4) takes on smart old pacers in the $30,000 Thames Goldfields Cup.
Captain Sampson is a lovely three-year-old on his way to the top but was nutted on the line last start by a race rival tonight in Little Spike at Cambridge.
They start off the same 20m handicaps tonight as they did last start so Little Spike is an obvious danger for trainer Arna Donnelly, who also has The Surfer and Jolimont (30m) in the standing start 2200m.
