Mystic Max, Blair Orange and Michael Purdon,fresh from their combined triumph with Four Year Old Trotter of the Year Award on Monday,are ready to conquer even greater fields.
Mystic Max trialled Monday and is likely to be nominated for Addington next week though not a certain starter in the R60+ event.
“Taking it one step at a time and there is plenty for him coming up but we were pleased with his trial” Michael said.
Mystic Max ran 3.26.4 for the 2600 home in 61.7 and 29.5. He has not raced since December 10 when at the end of his prep he galloped midrace and was pulled up on Grand Prix day.He had run a respectable race behind Oscar Bonavena in the Dominion and again in the Green Mile Trot at Methven indicating he would be more than competitive as an older horse in the more elite grades. He currently holds an R81 rating.
Feature targets in his sight include the Lamb and Hayward Trotting Classic (G2) on March 15 and the Fred Shaw Trotter’s Championship (G1) on March 30.
Meanwhile Mark and Nathan produced some interesting youngsters at the trials. Blair drove Party Central a $100,000 yearling buy by the Kennard syndicate,most of them associated with Spankem. He is a son of the outstanding All Stars-trained Trans Tasman performed filly and mare, Partyon, and went within a head of the winner in 2.42.6. In the same heat Louie Massimo co-bred and owned by Steve Byrne, the Millwood Nike syndicate leader ran third for Olivia just a head and half a length from the winner.
We are not much more than a month away from the first of the Young Guns heats and the Kindergarten Stakes so the two year old triallists will be followed with interest over the next few weeks.