Shane puts the shine on Eight Ball
Working well, the 3YO can be third-time lucky
Trainer Shane Baertschiger has just six runners in four events for Sunday's 10-race action. It's a lean and mean team, but he could saddle a winner. Maybe more.
Most of his party were out on the training track on Wednesday morning and all looked like they were enjoying themselves.
In particular, clockers were impressed with Eight Ball (Race 2), Star Of Jupiter (one of his three runners in Race 9) and King's Command (Race 10).
Eight Ball, especially, looked striking. He clocked 37.1sec for the 600m, paced by Galaxy Star, who is in Race 3.
A big horse who tips the scales in the higher end of 500kg, Eight Ball looks ready to throw his weight around in the $75,000 Restricted Maiden sprint over the Poly 1,100m.
He put the writing on the wall with a tremendously impressive last-start effort on Jan 9, when second to Entertainer in a competitive Open Maiden over the same track and distance.
Most racegoers did not see it coming. After all, just a month earlier, on Dec 12, he finished a long last behind Lady Sprintbok. So they let him off as the $72 long shot. They were saved the blushes as, on the day, Entertainer was in a class of his own - leading from pillar to post.
But Eight Ball, who sat fourth early, was the one who impressed. He came home with fluent strides to finish second.
If anything, that run would have trimmed off the fats and Baertschiger will produce Eight Ball in the mounting yard looking the part of a winner.
Besides Star Of Jupiter, the lanky trainer also has the topweight Excelling and two-time winner You Rokk in the day's top event, the $85,000 sprint for Class 2 horses over the Poly 1,100m. Excelling clocked 38.3sec, Star Of Jupiter in 37.8 and You Rokk in 39.8.
While Excelling is the stable star with five wins and over $300,000 in the bank, Star Of Jupiter is a rising talent. They will give the favourite Super Invincible a run for the money.
King's Command, who clocked 38sec, looked fresh from a break. He can surprise.
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