Looking at tonights harness racing meeting at Alexandra Park, Harnesslink has done previews on all the major races.
As he does most weeks, David McCarthy who manages the All Stars website has put together a runner by runner preview of all of their starters which we reproduce below.
Comments by Mark Purdon
Race 3
Lazarus (1) Mark
Form: Impressive winner here at December carnival
Comment: "The question is whether a colt can win when he has been off the racing scene for a while.
There just hasn't been a race for him and it has been frustrating. One thing about it is the draw. He will be on the pegs and not have too hard a run all going well.
It's just that lack of a race that might tell at the end of a fast race but there is not much between the two"
Chase the Dream (5) Natalie
Form: Sapling Stakes winner and impressive here in leadup last week
Comment: "I think he will be hard to beat.
He has done things pretty well so far and he has high speed and toughness.
He also has that race seasoning. As I said not much between them but he has probably has the best prep"
Race 5
Arden's Choice (7) Natalie
Form: Runner up on debut and last week behind stablemate.
A tendency to run out cost her a win the second time. So gear changes ?
Comment: "I might just try a pole on her on Thursday morning and see how it goes but at this stage it is not really my intention to change the gear.
She does run greenly and has a lot to learn but sometimes something like a pole doesn't help, especially the first time they use it"
Dream About Me (8) Tim
Form: Unbeaten in two to date. Narrow win over stablemate last week.
Comment: "Not much in it last time but I think she is the better of the two for this week.
She was green too but we are not going to change any of her gear this time"
Race 6
Have Faith In Me (1) Tim
Form: Big finish late in all aged field two weeks ago here.
Won Sires Stakes and PGG Sales finals this season so far.
Comment: "I don't think the draw is good for him.
He doesn't have high gate speed and quite a few are likely to beat him out.
That could put him in a bad place on the fence.
I am not worried about him missing a race last week because he had a tough one the week before and will be ready.
But the draw just lifts the chances of some of our others in this this race"
Kept Under Wraps (3) Natalie
Form: Only had two runs back from long spell and second in both of them.
Comment: "The draw will really suit him because he has gate speed and that gives him options.
He might lack the racing of some of these but he is a classy pacer.
He will be better for this one too but I wouldn't count him out if the race was run to suit him and anything went wrong for the favourite."
Itz Bettor To Win (6) Blair Orange
Form: Impressive lane run to beat Border Control last start. Dark horse
Comment: "He keeps surprising you this horse.
Nothing wonderful at home but every time we have challenged him he has stepped up and especially this way around.
A typical Bettor's (Delight) keeps getting better . He is probably the value bet among them"
Follow The Stars (8) Mark
Form: Devastating win in Prelude last week
Comment: "No, he seems back to his best.
Actually I wasn't 100 per cent on him in Melbourne-though if the draws and runs had been reversed I am sure he would have won.
He just seems more settled back here.
The draw is not ideal but over 2700m but not the major factor.
Tony's horse (Express Stride) has the gate speed and I expect him to lead early. There will probably be some midrace moves.
He seems to be very well and the one to beat"
Change Stride (10)
Form: Just battling to match the best ones in the Prelude and draws have not helped
Comment: He is just a couple of lengths behind those others at this stage and a win would have to be a real surprise"
Race 8
Smolda (2) Natalie
Form: Bold run first up here then paced roughly and galloped out of it last week.
Those only two starts since last autumn.
Comment: "He's been good this week.
It might have been the pole last week.
The positioning of the pole can affect horses.
Some don't like it higher up so we will adjust for that and hope that was the problem.
He is maybe not quite as good this way around even though he has won here in lesser races.
And he lacks the racing of some here.
But it never pays to forget he is a really classy horse on his day.
You can never write a class horse off"
Border Control (12) Tim
Form: Second and third in two starts at the meeting after earlier win at Addington.
Comment: Nothing wrong with his runs when you consider he has not raced much in the last 12 months.
So he is still improving.
He's a tough horse and will be better again here.
A good stayer too as they have to be to run 1.50.6 over a mile as he has"
Adore Me (14) Mark
Form: Overwhelming, topped by a 1.47.7 mile in Sydney
Comment: "She doesn't seem to have taken any harm from that race at all.
She arrived on Tuesday night and hopped straight into everything.
The scratchings have taken the draw out of play so she should be the one to beat.
I thought she would run about 1.49, maybe a little better if everything went right at Menangle and she did better than that so you can't really fault her at this stage"
Courtesy Of All Stars Racing Stables – Check site here