Anne-Marie Best has reason to be excited about her prospects of success at Marlborough Harness Racing Club's annual two-day winter meeting at Waterlea tomorrow and Sunday.

Best has already tasted success this week at Nelson, with two horses she owns and trains impressing.

On Tuesday, Tijuana Bromac won by a length and her other horse at the meeting, Way Up High, finished second.

Although not keen to talk up their chances at Waterlea, she is quietly confident they will run well.

"The opposition will know they are there and they have been backing up alright [from one meeting to another].

"They are both in good racing condition," she said.

Best brought Tijuana Bromac as a weanling aged just six months at the Bromac Canterbury sales and now the three-year-old gelding has had four wins from 14 starts. He raced at Waterlea in February without featuring in the placings, but Best said he was not race fit then.

"He's a real good horse. I feel real lucky to have him. He's nice to work with, great nature and just a lovely horse."

Way Up High is a four-year-old mare, and Best has high hopes for her.

"She hasn't won yet, but has had heaps of placings."

The start times for each day's racing have been changed as fewer horses are coming.

Nine races will be run instead of the usual 10 or 11 each day.

Marlborough Harness Racing Club secretary Barry Forbes said the decrease in horse numbers entered was mainly caused by Nelson's meeting dates being altered.

Instead of running last Friday and Sunday, the second day was rescheduled for Tuesday because of bad weather disrupting the travel of the significant Canterbury contingent.

Several other Marlborough owner-trainers have horses running this week, including Pat and Mike O'Brien, Mark Gill, Dean Hunter and Graeme Neill.

Neill's horse Millicent, in race one tomorrow, showed promising form finishing fourth at Nelson, while Hunter's horse Mo Hahn raced well at Cambridge, although out of the placings at the Harness Jewels meeting.

Feature races on the card are the Marlborough Express Cup Prelude on Friday, set to go at 3.40pm and the Criterion Hotel Marlborough Cup on Sunday, one of the later races, the time yet to be confirmed.

Admission both days is free. Racing starts at 11.35am tomorrow and 12 noon on Sunday.

 

BARRY FORBES' PICKS

Race 1: Trade Me Now, The Black Forest, Millicent

Race 2: Captain Thunderjet, Bad Dancer, Spotafalcon

Race 3: Christian Party, Christian Charlie, Countess Vale

Race 4: Flickering Ember, Smooth Seas, Living Memory

Race 5: Mo Hahn, Master Lavros, Glendaloch

Race 6: Rathmore Lady, That's Bettor, Broadway Classic

Race 7: Simon Sivad, Rockin Roll Lad, Declan

Race 8: Samuel James, Bettor Move It, Floyd Mayweather

Race 9: Jackaroo Bromac, Donegal's Guest, Orl Black

- The Marlborough Express

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