Harness Racing Trainer Paul Court has a Blenheim winter double in mind to wind down Expressive Victor's stellar season on a high.
Court will start the Harness Jewels runner-up in the Winter Cup Prelude on the first day of the Marlborough Harness Racing Club's double header and she is likely to go again in Sunday's Winter Cup.
Expressive Victor was given a week off following her second in the four-year-old Diamond behind Rocker Band.
She has not been sighted publicly since but her West Melton-based trainer is confident she is forward enough to be competitive on both days Waterlea.
"If anything she might be better for the run on Friday, but I wouldn't be coming if I didn't think she could (win)," Court said.
Expressive Victor starts off 10m in Friday's Prelude but being the reliable and speedy beginner she is from the stand, the winner of seven races should be able to find the front if Blair Orange wants it.
Court believes Expressive Victor is versatile and is not concerned if she does not lead.
The daughter of Changeover raced by the De Novo Syndicate has chalked up five wins and six minor placings from 16 starts this season to exceed Court's expectations.
"We always thought she was a pretty handy horse that could win two or three pretty quick but she just keeps stepping up."
But Expressive Victor has not been the only bright point of Court's first season training on his own accord.
Before Thursday night's Forbury Park meeting, he had already tallied 25 winners and could not be happier with how the season has panned out.
He spent seven seasons training in partnership with his father Graham – highlighted by three consecutive New Zealand Trotting Cup victories with champion pacer-turned-sire Terror To Love.
Thirty winners for the season looks possible but Court is not targeting any specific number.
"I'm over the moon really. I didn't think about how many we might get beforehand, I just like to let it play out and see what happens.
"I've been really happy with how many runners we have had in the Group races and how competitive we have been in them," Court said.
Court also has a couple of leading hopes in c1 races over 2300m on the first day at Blenheim.
Hypervelocityā (race 6) and Courage To Live (race 9) both start from barrier two and although Court is not brimming with confidence, he rates both winning chances.
The Bruce Hutton-trained Ideal Arden, who won the Nelson Winter Cup Prelude and Nelson Winter Cup will look to repeat the double in Blenheim.
Highview Freddyā ran two placings behind Ideal Arden at Nelson with stablemate Graduate Under Fire finishing just in behind with two top five finishes for the Robert Dunn stable.
"Highview Freddy would have to be the pick of them just on that Nelson form," stable representative John Dunn said.
The highlight for the Dunn stable will be the return of exciting pacer Franco Cristianoā who makes his makes his comeback from a long injury layoff in the c2-c3 pace over 2300m.
The three-year-old was one of the main challengers to the All Stars colts before fracturing a pedal bone earlier this season.
"He's pretty forward, he's had two nice trials," Dunn said.
Mat Kermeen