Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
In-form trainer Michael Young was delighted with Doc Holliday’s eye-catching fourth behind Lawrence last Friday night and he has no hesitation in declaring the New Zealand-bred five-year-old as the best winning prospect of his four runners at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He was superb last week when he ran home in very good sectionals,” he said. “I know that he has come a long way recently and I’m sure he will be hard to beat this week.”
Doc Holliday, to be driven by Emily Suvaljko, will start from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m Get The Best Service Only @ DTS Pace, and his clash with brilliant last-start winner Arma Einstein and the highly promising Ideal Agent should be a highlight of the night’s pacing.
Doc Holliday was a $34 outsider from barrier seven last Friday night when he was eleventh at the bell before he produced a sizzling late burst of speed to finish a close fourth. He was badly cramped for room in the home straight and was certainly an unlucky runner.
Of the 101 horses who contested the ten races on the program Doc Holliday recorded the fastest last 800m (54.9sec.) and the fastest final 400m (27.1sec.).
“I’m not sure whether the one (nine-year-old Disco Under Fire) will hand up to Doc Holliday,” said Young. “But if he does, I expect Doc Holliday to go close to winning.”
Young is hoping that Doc Holliday reproduces his effort at his third Australian appearance last September when he started from barrier No. 2, set the pace and held on to win by a short half-head from Ideal Agent, who at his first start in Australia, began from barrier eight, raced wide early and then in the breeze.
“This week Ideal Agent faces a tough job from barrier nine,” said Young. However, Ideal Agent, who will be driven by Dylan Egerton-Green for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has the class to prove hard to beat at his first outing since he finished a head second to the fast-finishing Machnificent in the 1730m group 2 Nights Of Thunder on January 14.
And the Colin Brown-trained and driven four-year-old Arma Einstein must come under serious consideration after dashing victories at his past two starts. He was most impressive last Friday night when he set the pace and won easily at a 1.54.9 rate over 1730m.