That seems to be the theory after Nalah Franco showed enough to clear maidens in a 1700m fillies and mares' mobile pace last night.
The Lis Mara filly was having her first start last night but, despite being from the smart Steven McRae stable, she was sent out as sixth favourite on the totalisator, due to underwhelming trial and workout form this autumn.
‘‘She's only trialled OK but during the week she's just taken the next step and I thought she'd go good tonight,'' driver Craig Thornley said.
‘‘She was always travelling good throughout so I thought she would be hard to bowl at the quarter peg.''Her older half-brother, Franco Nixon, was victorious at Forbury Park last week, and his only other career win came at the same venue in February.
‘‘They're course specialists,'' Thornley quipped.
‘‘She'd suit Australia, actually. She's got good gate speed and the short distances would suit her. That's probably where her future lies, really.''
Brad Williamson was thrown from the sulky halfway through race 2, but returned a winner in race 3 behind Ossessione.
Williamson was driving Janet's Passion with 1100m to go in race 2 when the mare veered right and fell to the track, and a post-race veterinary examination revealed she bled during the running.
She could not be encouraged to her feet before the field entered the home straight for the final time, causing the race to be abandoned.
However, Williamson was back in winning form the next race with Ossessione, a son of Santanna Blue Chip.
The 4yr-old is owned by brothers Ian and Lindsay Thomson, of Branxholme, who were pleased to see their gelding rack up his third win after his summer campaign was cut short by a cold.
Mosgiel trainer Darryn Simpson will decide over the next few days whether to curtail the campaign of Its Elvis after his win in the c0 2700m trot.
The full brother to Its Oscar took the early lead and driver Dexter Dunn stacked up his rivals with very soft early sectionals to hold on for the win.
‘‘I'll just have a think about what I'm going to do with him. He's probably just a wee bit on the weak side,'' Simpson said.
Feather Boyz will certainly be back for the winter carnival, but probably not next week after his win at double-figure odds last night, his trainer, Eian Lamb, said.
‘‘I'll probably give him next week off, then race the next couple after that. He's had two hard races and he loses a bit of weight.''
The 6yr-old has now won four races on the course but was paying $25.50, due to the presence of hot favourite Missandei, who galloped for almost 120m at the start but recovered well to run fifth.
