Harness racing: Trainer’s confidence growing in TAB Trot bid with Arcee Phoenix

Victorian trotter Arcee Phoenix has made his third trip to New Zealand for the TAB Trot, and it’s the most confident trainer-driver Chris Svanosio has been.

Arcee Phoenix is in better form for the TAB Trot compared to 12 months ago, Picture: Stuart McCormick

This is Arcee Phoenix’s moment.

After almost 18 months in the big league, much of it spent chasing and occasionally beating megastars like Just Believe and Callmethebreeze, Arcee Phoenix is primed for stamp himself in the biggest races, starting with Friday night’s $NZ600,000 TAB Trot (2200m) in Cambridge.

A sharp workout around Cambridge on Tuesday morning has only further fuelled the enthusiasm and confidence of his Victorian trainer-driver Chris Svanosio.

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“I don’t think we’ve ever had him better,” he said.

“I’m rapt with how he’s handled the trip, settled in and his work felt sharp.

“This is his third trip to New Zealand and it’s the most confident I’ve been in him yet.

“He came to this race last year and ran fourth, but it was at the end of a long campaign of hard racing and he wasn’t at his absolute top.

“He’s back staying with Dylan Ferguson like he did last year and it’s great to hear he and his partner, Jo, say he looks like a different horse to 12 months ago.”

Arcee Phoenix, who like last year will race in Duncan McPherson’s Aldebaran Park slot in the race, has built strongly over the past month.

“His run (third) behind Keayang Zahara in Sydney a month ago was as good as he’s ever gone, I think,” Svanosio said.

“Then he followed it up with the impressive Melton win (March 22) to keep him up to the mark for Cambridge.

“I’m just a lot happier and confident about him than I was 12 months ago.

“I’m sure he’s a better horse now and hopefully the race isn’t as strong as last year without Just Believe and Callmethebreeze in it. Keayang Zahara not being there is another plus for us.

“Hopefully he can get a nice draw and we see the very best of him.”

Arcee Phoenix is in better form for the TAB Trot compared to 12 months ago, Picture: Stuart McCormick

Svanosio ruled out staying in NZ for a string of other feature trotting races after Friday.

“No, we’ll get him home and focus on the Brisbane Inter Dominion in July,” he said.

Arcee Phoenix and Inter Dominion winner The Locomotive look the top chances in a group of five Aussie horses tackling the select eight-horse TAB Trot.

They will be trying to follow last year’s dominance when Victorian trotters filled the first four spots in the inaugural running of the race.

Svanosio won’t have much time to celebrate if Arcee Phoenix wins on Friday.

“I’ve got an early flight out of Auckland to get back and drive a few of mine at Melton on Saturday night,” he said.

The key runner is in-form mare Aldebaran Acrux from gate three in the Yabby Dams Trotters’ free-for-all (race 5).

He also has Aldebaran Miley in race seven and Norms Lady in race 9.

“Aldebaran Acrux has been terrific this campaign. It’s never easy against the boys, but she had to draw well under the preferential conditions and I’m sure she’ll be very competitive,” Svanosio said.

“Norms Lady drawing the pole brings her right into her race. We worked hard early and couldn’t find the front last time, but if you go back four and five runs, she’d be right in a race like this.”

* Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp