Gray quintet ready to fire this weekend

Palmerston North trainers Kevin and Stephen Gray are hoping to pick up a couple of winners’ cheques this weekend as they prepare to line-up a quintet of runners at Hawera and Awapuni.

The father-and-son combination will take just the one runner to Hawera on Saturday, with debutant placegetter Ready Response to contest the Canter 4 Cancer Maiden 1400.

Stephen Gray has been pleased with the way the four-year-old son of Better Than Ready has come through his debut run over 1200m a fortnight ago and he is looking forward to him stepping up in distance this weekend.

“He went really well on debut and he should improve with the extra distance,” he said. “We are pretty happy with him and hopefully he should be in the first three again.”

Looking ahead to Awapuni’s synthetic meeting on Sunday, the Grays will line-up another debutant placegetter in the Sean Coleman Painting 1200 in Toronto.

The five-year-old son of Vancouver ran third over 1000m at the track at the start of the month and Gray believes the extra distance will also be his friend on Sunday.

“Toronto went super first start,” Gray said. “There were a couple of horses that were a bit more experienced and 1000m was a bit sharp. He made good ground and I think 1200m will be good back to maiden company. He is a nice horse.”

Last start winner Our Akashinga will be seeking to continue her winning ways in the HR Jones & Co LTD 1200.

“She ran a track record the other day,” Gray said. “She has freshened up a bit. 1200m might be a tad short, she will get further, but she has got quality and she will be right in the finish.”

The stable will have a two-pronged attack in the Evans Henderson Woodbridge Barristers & Solicitors 1400 courtesy of Exaggeration and Tears Of Victory.

Exaggeration has impressed in his brief career on the track, winning two of his three starts, and finished runner-up in his other outing. Gray is hopeful of another bold showing on Sunday and he is looking forward to stepping him out on the grass as tracks improve.

“He did well to win last start,” Gray said. “His sectionals were huge and he is a very nice horse.

“He goes up in class now, but he is a nice horse and he will be better once he gets over a mile to 2000m on the grass.”

Tears Of Victory won two races prior to her unplaced run in the $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1400m), taken out by stablemate Cosentino, and Gray is hoping she can bounce back this weekend.

“She just wasn’t good enough the other day and they were too sharp for her,” he said. “She gets back in class and the two-kilo claim will bring her right into contention.”

The Grays weekend team will be rounded out by Yakattack in the Central ITM – Marton & Feilding 1700.

He heads into the race in good form, having placed on the track first-up earlier this month following a year hiatus from racing.

“He went really well first-up for us for a while, he hadn’t raced in a year,” Gray said. “He is a stayer, so we didn’t know what to expect. My rider (Bruno Queiroz) just said he needs ground, so we threw him in the deep end and he went well. If he improves a bit he can be in the first three again and could even win it.”