Franco Jamar won nine of his 16 starts as a 3yr-old. His wins included the Southern Supremacy Stakes Final at Ascot Park and a semifinal of the Australasian Breeders' Crown at Melton. He also won over a mile in 1.56.6 at Ashburton.
Trained by Steve Dolan at Loburn, the son of Courage Under Fire won fresh up in November last year. He won five races in a row last year. He was disappointed for a run in the closing stages of the final of the Breeders' Crown and returned to Canterbury for a spell.
Franco Jamar has won both his workouts at Rangiora in a fresh preparation, the most recent on November 6 when he ran his last 800m in 56.6.
"He came up a bit quick so we gave him a week off after his last workout," Sheldon Murtha, his part-owner said. "He is ready to go."
His connections are viewing a start in the Green Mile at Methven on Sunday week.
"Depending on how he goes at Methven, he may go to Auckland but he is more likely to stay closer to home for the Pelorus Classic at Blenheim or the Northern Southland Cup."
The winner of the $55,000 Northern Southland Cup on January 13 is guaranteed a start in the $500,000 Auckland Trotting Cup on March 11.
• A claiming race with prices up to $50,000 tomorrow night has attracted a good response.
Living Proof and About Ambition, both trained by Cran Dalgety, have been entered with price tags of $40,000, and Knight N Charge has a tag of $30,000.
"It was a trial and the feedback is promising," Darrin Williams, the handicapper for Harness Racing New Zealand, said.
"There is a similar race on December 23. Hopefully we will eventually run separate claimers with prices up to $10,000 and prices over that figure."
Living Proof, the winner of seven races, ran fifth in the Geraldine Cup last Saturday. About Ambition has won eight races.
