Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Cambridge trainer Brendon Hawtin doesn’t expect his promising three-year-old prospects Aligns With Me and So Much Mour to have too much trouble progressing through the grades.
“They’re both nice horses and will be even better with more time,” he said.
Aligns With Me will shoot for a second success when he runs in the Shackell Electrical 1200m at Te Aroha on Wednesday.
“We thought he was our best two-year-old last season, but he banged a knee at the trials and that put us back a bit,” Hawtin said.
“He’s drawn out a bit, but he’s better when he’s held up and he should run very well again.”
By contrast, stablemate So Much Mour will jump from an inside barrier in the Racing Te Aroha Supporters’ Club 1400m.
“He’s going the right way and ticking all the boxes,” Hawtin said. “He’s got 58kg so it’s not easy for a three-year-old against the older horses, but he should get a nice, soft run from the draw.
“We might look at something like the Trevor Eagle Memorial to boost his prizemoney and maybe get into the Karaka 3YO Mile.”
So Much Mour was a first-up winner at Te Awamutu before he finished second at Pukekohe last month.
Hawtin is also looking for improvement on Wednesday from Royal Touch in the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Pearl Series Race (1600m).
“She was a bit disappointing last time,” he said. “She was second-up after a first-up fifth on a heavy track so it might have flattened her a bit.
“She’ll have the blinkers on and with Matt Cameron up I’d like to think she’ll run a lot better.” – NZ Racing Desk.