He’s all but given up expecting the best from Waterloo Sunset these days, but Paul Nairn refuses to not be hopeful when he takes the massive trotter with the big motor to the races.
After a quiet start to the season, the master trainer of a trotter is unleashing a four-pronged attack on Addington tonight including Waterloo Sunset who returns to the races for the first time since his eye-catching effort behind Monbet in last season’s Rowe Cup at Alexandra Park.
Coming in fresh up with just one workout to prepare, Nairn isn’t too concerned about fitness but more whether or not the real version of the powerful trotter is going to show up or not.
“He’s about 90 per cent I would say,” Nairn said.
“I’m happy with everything he’s doing at home and he’s come up this time round nice and strong. But he has let me down before so I guess I am always a wee bit hesitant to get too confident about him.
“When he’s right, he can be very good but he’s just thrown the odd bad one in too which hasn’t helped and I’ve really got no reason to think that this time in will be any different.”
Bob Butt will continue his association with the entire by Sundon as they build toward the Cup Week features next month.
Nairn also has Any Old Way resuming in the same race in a field that boasts the return of last year’s outstanding three-year-old trotter Marcoola who has looked super in his workouts and trials prior to tonight’s assignment.
Earlier in the night he will line up both Quevert and Lothario, both of whom return without having been out in public.
Quevert made big strides last season and topped it off with a big win at Alexandra Park late in his campaign, taking his record for the season to four wins and three placings from 13 starts.
Butt will also do the driving on him with his father, David on board Any Old Way and also Lothario.
The well bred Lothario, who is from the same family as Habibti, Habibi Inta and Ten Too disappointed at times last season and Nairn said there have been plenty of issues to iron out with the chestnut.
“I thought he was a Rowe Cup horse but he’s disappointed me a few times, he just wasn’t finishing his races off all that well.
“Hopefully we have some of them ironed out because he can trot and could have a good season.
“Both Lothaio and Quevert are about the same in terms of fitness and while they will improve with the run, they are probably still both ready enough to go close to winning if things go their way.”
After a record-breaking season, by his own standards, of 26 winners, Nairn has some ground to make up if he is to go close to that mark again this term but with some serious trotting power in front of him it would take a brave man to bet against him at least getting close.
Super Selector – Addington – By Matt Markham
Race 1: Don Pierre, Here We Go Again, Errol Finn, Eja Patron
Race 2: Jean Sebastien, Glass Half Full, The Fox, Benchmark
Race 3: You Gotta Have Faith, Ears Burning, Donegal Rundlescreek, Micky Flynn
Race 4: Kayteeoh Denario, Cmeerock, Daylight Robbery, Blade
Race 5: Lothario, Quevert, Santorini Sunset, Idle Monkey
Race 6: Usain Colt, Dreamy Damien, Delightful Dash, Little Rascal
Race 7: Runaway Star, Crackared, Lovetodream, Cullen Who
Race 8: Marcoola, Sunny Ruby, Waterloo Sunset, Daryl Boko
Race 9: King Solomon, The Fixer, Smiley Sophie, Spondulicks
Best Bet: You Gotta Have Faith (Race 3)
Value: Runaway Star (Race 7)