Auckland Style: Champion pacer Blacks A Fake worked stylishly in a clockwise direction at Albion Park Photo by Corey Pearce
Champion pacer Blacks A Fake is set to make his international debut.
The remarkable pacer is set to be a surprise starter in next week's Gr.1 $NZ500,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup at Alexandra Park and the Inter Dominion will also be on his agenda.
The Auckland Cup will boast an all-star cast with born again pacer Auckland Reactor a confirmed starter plus defending champion Monkey King, last start Hunter Cup winner Stunin Cullen and Im Themightyquinn also guaranteed runners.
The $4.3 million earner worked in a clockwise direction at Albion Park today (Tuesday) with a galloping pacemaker and left trainer/driver Natalie Rasmussen beaming after the public hit-out.
“He felt so comfortable working clockwise, he never missed a beat and I was so happy with the way he felt for the entire workout.”
Blacks A Fake worked stylishly over a distance of roughly 2400m and recorded fast times.
“I wanted him to work strongly and I clocked him to run his last three quarters in 29, 29 and 27 seconds,”
“I was very pleased how he worked the final bend and being forced to make a move around the outside of the pacemaker at high speed, he passed that test with flying colours.”
Blacks A Fake will start this Saturday night at Albion Park in a FFA over the 1660m where he will start from gate nine, two off the second line.
“This is not an ideal preparation heading into a Auckland Cup but these are the cards we've been dealt, the Cup will at least provide some experience on the track before the Inter series gets under way,”
“Safely through Saturday night's race, I will float him down to Sydney on Monday night before flying out to Auckland on Tuesday.”
Two weeks ago, the Inter Dominion campaign appeared to be in tatters after the gelding suffered cardiac arrhythmia during track-work but subsequent testing has revealed no ill effects.
“Mark my words, he's been thoroughly tested and everything is in order so we're pushing ahead with the Inter Dominion and that's the main aim whilst we're in Auckland,”
“He pulled up really well after his work today and that was a good test in itself today because it was so hot, real energy sapping stuff but he handled it very easily.”
Amazingly, Blacks A Fake has never stepped foot outside of Australia with his 68 victories from 95 starts all being in his homeland.
Blacks A Fake is the only horse to win four Inter Dominion Pacing Grand Finals and is hoping to become the only horse to contest six Grand Finals on April 8.
