Echuca trainer Rhys Archard eyes double on big day at home track

Echuca trainer Rhys Archard says there is a lot of excitement around town heading into the Good Friday meeting and wants to strike for the locals.

Echuca trainer Rhys Archard has claims on a Country Trainers Series Final sweep on Good Friday.

Archard has in-form but enigmatic Sandwina in the 1400m event, with stable star Boltsaver in the 1200m decider to round out a feature Echuca card.

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Sandwina rebounded last start at Ballarat with John Allen aboard to make up for a missed opportunity on home deck two starts back.

“She’s turned a corner this prep,” Archard said.

“The problem with her is she seems to hit the front and stop, waits for the others, if I was confident she was going to run through the line she’d be really hard to beat.

“Johnny getting down to 56kg to ride her again is a positive … settle off them and get there late.”

Sandwina is handicapped at 55kg but in line with an ongoing Racing Victoria trial, allowing jockeys to ride 1kg over in flat races from March 1, Archard booked Allen at 56kg.

“I’d have him at 58kg,” Archard said.

“You need to know the horse, she’s a bit tricky.

“He rode her well last start and hopefully something similar would be nice.”

Rhys Archard with Boltsaver after a win at Sandown last year. Picture: Pat Scala/Racing Photos via Getty Images

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Sandwina loomed up strongly two starts back at Echuca but stargazed once in front and allowed the eventual winner to rally back after being headed.

Allen made the necessary timing and tactical tweak to suit Sandwina last start and held a margin to the post.

“He let the second horse come up on her outside … and with the visors on she was just a head in front doing it easy,” Archard said.

“We will hopefully be the horse to pounce late and hit the line when we need to.”

Sandwina is a $7 chance in a market dominated by Nodachi ($3.50) and Epice Dieu ($3.80).

Archard said Boltsaver, a $5 second favourite in the last, would also run well despite trialling “a little bit flat” a fortnight ago at Donald.

Sandwina (right) bounced back to winning form at Ballarat last start. Picture: Reg Ryan/Racing Photos via Getty Images

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“He was going good until about 10 days ago … we just backed off him and hopefully he picks up a bit tomorrow and has a bit of freshness in his legs.

“Other than that, he’s really well, looks well, but I might’ve overdone it with him (with a third trial).”

Archard, one of three locals to field runners on the Good Friday card, along with Gwenda Johnstone (Thinking Of Gerty and Impending Shadow) and Jim Lake (Highland George), welcomed the feature country race day.

“There’s a bit of excitement around town, especially with the money on offer, a $500,000 (Country Discovery) and some really good horses,” Archard said.

“We’ve got really good weather, 29-30 degrees, a lot of people in town just with school holidays, so we should get a good crowd hopefully.”