Reiding between the lines

Pukekohe harness racing trainer Steven Reid knows that Coastal Babe (Downbytheseaside) will need to lift tomorrow night when she races in the $100,000 Group Two Caduceus Club Three Year Old Fillies Ladyship Stakes in Auckland and he’s hoping she can.

“I’m hopeful that she’s a lot sharper than she was in the Harness Million, and she should be even better next week for the Oaks,” Reid said.

In the Harness Million she led and hung on to beat Kiss by a nose with a head back to Ultimate Racy Girl.

“I was happy that she won, she went 42 and a bit (2-42.8) and they got pretty close to her. I’d made it quite public that she’d come back from Christchurch after having a wee issue and she’d really put some weight on, and I was playing catch up. She seems to have held the weight for quite some time.”

Coastal Babe who’s the richest earning filly in the Ladyship, won at the Pukekohe Workouts last Saturday by ten lengths running the distance in a two minute mile rate.

“It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do. I was imagining I was going to get through the half in about 1-36 and get home in 57 and 27 but I put the cart a little bit too far in and she hit the wheels and took off. Every time I took hold of her, she’d take off.”

Reid said prior to the trial the ownership group were keen to pay the late entry fee to get into the Ladyship.

“The only thing the owners said to me was to trial her on Saturday and be happy. I’ve done a bit of reflection on the run and regardless of how it was it was a good run but run at a faster speed in different sections. You might say that with a lesser horse it may have kicked their arse. I was in a bit of a panic when it happened but she’s came through the run great. She hasn’t missed a feed since and she trained really good this morning.”

Reid says the barrier draw of five tomorrow is not great, but it could have been worse.

“It’s a draw as a trainer I’ll have no opinion on. I’ve never told Matty (driver Matthew White) how to drive her. He drives her a lot on feel. When she won the Caduceus, led up and ran a New Zealand record, he said she just felt so good and just did it.”

The race has attracted some fresh faces to this age group and Reid says it adds another dimension to Friday’s feature.

“You’ve got Cran and Chrissie Dalgety’s filly All You Need Is Me, Duchess Megxit and Nathan Williamson’s filly (Ruby Roe) and from what I’ve seen of them I think they may be a bit of a step up from what we’ve been racing. If that’s the case then you really need Coastal Babe to be stepping up and I think she is. So far I think she’s just had the wood on the likes of Kiss and Ultimate Racy Girl but I’m not sure she’s going to have the wood on the others. I’m hoping she will.”

The Ladyship is a prelude to next Friday’s $110,000 Group One Northern Oaks raced over 2700 metres.

“I don’t think she’s hanging out for a long race, but I’ve seen Matt park her out at Cambridge and he said she just relaxed. I think the reason why those good horses in general can get the longer distance is they’re tractable and know how to conserve energy.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink