Mosgiel trainer Darryn Simpson has plenty of options ahead of him with his classy trotter Pres The Belle.
The 5yr-old ran to victory in the feature trot at Wyndham on Thursday after starting from the 30m mark.
Pres The Belle stepped quickly for driver Tim Williams, and they worked their way towards the front.
Simpson said she may have even begun too quickly.
"Her manners are pretty good at the moment — she put herself in a good position.
"But, in saying that she probably began that well that she had to keep going around them.
"Whereas the others mooched around with a bit of cover, she had to chase them and she had to keep going.
"She probably only got a breather down the back for 100m and she had to get going again."
Pres The Belle has had an interrupted summer.
First, she had to recover after getting sick at the New Zealand Cup carnival.
After resuming at Gore, the mare missed a run because of heavy rain at Cromwell.
Because of those interruptions, Simpson thinks Pres The Belle still has fitness to gain from Thursday’s win.
"I think she would be better for the run.
"She had the run at Gore and then missed the run at Cromwell, so it was three and a half weeks since she had a race.
"You can only do so much at home — there is nothing like race fitness."
Simpson plans to campaign Pres The Belle in premier company at Addington in the coming weeks.
He said the trotter could race at the Invercargill Cup meeting before that.
Pres The Belle was not the only trotter to look ready for her upcoming assignments.
Last season’s Harness Jewels runner-up, Full Noise, won the Gold Chip graduation final at Wyndham on Thursday.
The Brett Gray-trained trotter showed he was on target for upcoming 3yr-old trotting features with a comfortable front-running victory.
Driver Brent Barclay barely had to ask the horse for an effort as he strolled to victory by nearly two-lengths over fellow smart 3yr-old, Only One Way.
The Wyndham meeting started in good style when Prince Abbey ran to a maiden 2400m victory in 2.56.7.
That sizzling time would turn out to be the fastest of all of the 2400m races held on Thursday, beating out Especial’s 2.57.4 win in the feature pace.
