Makkem Lad can defy topweight

Two last-start winners and another who doesn't need a map and compass to find his way to the winning post were the star performers on the training track yesterday morning.

Winners at their last outings, Entertainer clocked 38.5sec for the 600m while Sacred Croix stopped the clocks at 38.8sec.

As for Makkem Lad, he was all speed when zipping over the 600m in 36.5sec.

Trained by Donna Logan, Makkem Lad has certainly been padding up his bank balance.

From just 17 starts beginning in May 2018, the now five-year-old has posted five wins and five seconds on the board and his bank statement reads in excess of $300,000.

A winner in late March last year, just before we went into lockdown, Makkem Lad needed four runs since restrictions were eased and five months to get back to his winning ways.

That he did when winning in December.

In fairness to him, it was an impressive win as he beat a talented Class 3 field over the 1,200m on turf.

That day the winning margin was a 1½ lengths.

It could have been further.

Given a short breather, Makkem Lad was back on Jan 16 and, with apprentice Yusoff Fadzli shaving three kilograms off his allotted weight of 59kg, Makkem Lad was found wanting over the concluding stages and had no answer when Sacred Croix came charging home.

Logan has done a fine job with the Australian-bred sprinter who is owned by the Eden Park Stud Racing Stab. While the "Lad" meets some good ones on Saturday, he should defy topweight and give a good account of himself over his pet distance of 1,200m.

As for Entertainer, his work with Hakim Kamaruddin in the saddle suggested that he was ready to take off from where he left off - which was that victory some three weeks ago.

IN COMMAND

That day, when ridden by Hong Kong-bound Ruan Maia, Entertainer skipped to the lead on barrier rise and never gave his rivals a look-in.

He was always in command and, like his name suggested, he turned out to be the perfect Entertainer.

Among those he beat that day were Eight Ball, Don't Tell Tilly and Showbound.

Owned by the Fortuna NZ Racing Stable, who were successful with Federation on Sunday, Entertainer has yet to reveal his full potential and it wouldn't surprise one bit to see him make it a race-to-race double on Saturday.

The same must be said of Sacred Croix.

Last time out, it was with a load of authority that he beat Makkem Lad over the 1,200m on the turf track.

Apprentice Hakim did the steering and the manner in which he came home would have given his rivals a serious case of windburn.

Trained by Mark Walker and owned by Remarkable Stable, Sacred Croix is truly a versatile sort.

By Savabeel, he has to date had 22 starts beginning in October 2018.

Along the way he has tackled and won over trips of 1,200m, 1,400m and 1,600m.

He is certainly a nice horse to have in the yard and, right now, he is a six-year-old who certainly has tons of racing left in him.