Racing: Single start likely

Dark Dana returns to racing in race 2 at Forbury Park Tonight. Photo by Matt Smith.
Dark Dana returns to racing in race 2 at Forbury Park Tonight. Photo by Matt Smith.
Don't blink or you might miss Beaudiene Beaut Babe this winter.

The half-sister to Beaudiene Bad Babe (22 wins, $404,898) and Saturday's Harness Jewels 2yr-old Emerald winner Beaudiene Boaz qualified at her first attempt at Ascot Park on May 28.

But her co-trainer, Jonny Cox - who will take the drive behind the 3yr-old filly tonight - said she would probably be given just one run in this preparation.

''She's pretty green so she's just going to have one start and go to the paddock,'' Cox said.

The daughter of Art Major had a few kinks to iron out when she arrived at the Westwood Beach stables of Cox and Amber Hoffman earlier this season.

''She'd been up at Fred Fletcher's [in Canterbury] and he'd been working on her - she's got a few issues.

''But he was heading north for the Harness Jewels so decided the straight-line training would be a benefit to her. She had a habit of running off the track.''

''Obviously here, you can either go to the sea or the sandhills [if the horse ran off].''

Beaudiene Beaut Babe's qualifying time of 2.50.0 was recorded during a wintry week in the lower South Island.

''It was pretty windy down there with a head wind down the back straight and a tail wind home. That's why the half [62.2sec] and quarter [29.9sec] look a bit out of sync,'' Cox said.

''Like I say, she's a bit green. We were a couple of cart-widths out down the back straight.''

With her inexperience and greenness issues in mind, Cox said the second-line draw may assist.

''Hopefully we'll get away and get a run through and see where we end up. She's got a bit of speed, so if she's handy to them, she shouldn't be a mile away.''

Shya (race 9) displayed similar speed on debut last month despite having a tendon problem which delayed her career by four years and still leaves her as a day-to-day proposition.

''We were hoping to back her up the week after she won, but just with the weather, she had four days off, so it was a bit mean to ask her to race two days later.

Cox does not plan to rush out of the gate with Shya despite her barrier draw of 4.

'''When she qualified at Oamaru, it was a mobile and she went a bit rough at the start, so I'll just let her find her feet.''

Dark Dana (race 2) is fresh up after five starts in 2013 - save for one trial on May 5 - but Cox expects the gelding to need the run.

''Bad draw and all doesn't really help him, so he's probably one to go back and follow them round.

''He was thereabouts last winter, so if he can go one better, we'll be happy.

Cox rates his drive for Graham and Paul Court in race 3, Expressive Art, as the best of the remainder of his drives.

Mike Love, of Dunedin, will have his first raceday drive behind Indefinite, trained by his Charing Cross-based brother, Damian, in race 1.

Indefinite had 27 starts as a pacer, claiming one win, before qualifying as a trotter in April this year.

Knapdale Lady will wear the number 5 saddlecloth but will start off the 10m mark in race 8, a c1-c2 handicap pace for junior drivers, due to an error when the fields were finalised.

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