Chris Lang returns to partner Kyvalley Blur for just the second time this season in the $100,000 Group 1 Australian Trotting Grand Prix.
The trotting super stable of Chris Lang will take a two-pronged attack into Saturday night’s Seelite Windows and Doors Australian Trotting Grand Prix at Melton’s Tabcorp Park.
Lang will put the polish on six-year-olds Kyvalley Blur and I See Icy Earl in the Group 1, $100,000 feature over 2240m, with Lang to pilot the former and Greg Sugars to steer the latter.
The Nagambie trainer takes high expectations into the race, with Kyvalley Blur ready to recapture the form that saw him topple expected favourite My High Expectations in December.
While the David Aiken-trained seven-year-old has dominated recent feature races and deserves to go into the race as the popular elect, Lang shed some light on Kyvalley Blur’s seemingly flat form line.
“He had been suffering from a virus but his last run was much better,” he said.
“His last run he probably needed the run a bit, so I’d expect he can make the improvement. The virus does explain why he looked a bit disappointing for a while there.”
Lang cited the Aldebaran Bill Collins Mile result at Cranbourne in December when asked about My High Expectations.
On that occasion Kyvalley Blur won, while Elegant Image finished second.
“He deserves top billing,” Lang said of My High Expectations. “And my bloke probably lacks a bit of match practice too at the moment.
“With the virus I’d always prefer it in February rather than March, so that’s a good thing.”
I See Icy Earl has been racing well of late but has drawn the second row for Saturday night.
But Lang is adamant the poor draw won’t worry him too much: “He’s not the sort of horse who can utilise a good draw. He’s a bit one-dimensional in that he’s just a sit-sprinter.
“He’s going very, very well. He beat Elegant Image two runs back and he beat Blitzthemcalder four runs ago. So he’s got some big scalps. It will be hard from back there though, it always is.”
Lang said leading reinsman Chris Alford, who has driven Kyvalley Blur at most of his runs this preparation, elected to drive Boizel on Saturday night.
“He thought it’d be best if I drove Kyvalley Blur,” he said.
“I put him on when I was injured and I just stuck with him.”