Toro Stride. Photo by Club Menangle
POPULAR training partners Joe and Mary Rando will be out to spoil a McCarthy party at Menangle tonight.
The Menangle-based team may have three starters in the $25,500 Trotters Carousel Final, a race which has returned to the calendar after a long absence.
Toro Stride, perfectly-drawn in gate four, will come into three with the first emergency already withdrawn and looks an excellent chance of making it four wins on the trot and the second in succession for former Victorian reinsman Bailey McDonough.
Yet Rando is reluctant to split his runners as he also has the in-form Leaf Stride (James Rattray) in the race and was hoping second emergency, Have No Fear, might get a run as well.
Toro Stride, a son of Love You, made his debut for Team Rando on July 11, in what was his first start since last October.
“He is a very nice trotter,” said Joe.
“We really like him and believe he can go a lot further.
“He's still only lightly-raced and gives the impression he'll get better as he gains experience.
“Whatever we’ve asked him to do so far, he’s done quite easily.
“This horse can sit and he can lead, now it’s up to Bailey and what he wants to do tonight.”
Rando explained that he preferred leaving it up to the experts, rather than giving them instructions on how each horse should be driven.
“The pace should be on, no matter who’s in front; this is a good line-up of horses,” he said.
“These guys are the best, we don’t need to tell these drivers what to do – they’re the best at it.
Toro Stride looks likely to start a warm $2.40 favourite tonight, with the McCarthy-trained Constantinople considered his biggest threat at $3.20.
Leaf Stride will have to overcome the outside of the front line if he is to figure in the finish.
“If Leaf Stride puts it together he is more than capable of winning this,” said Rando.
“It will all come down to his behaviour on the night.”
Rando said all three had trained well this week and he was thrilled to have a race like this for the square-gaiters.
“It took us a while to settle in here [Menangle Training Centre] and to learn the three different tracks and how to train our horses differently,” he said.
“It now seems to be working – and we love it here.”
