CHRIS Svanosio has a knack of peaking Arcee Phoenix when it matters.
This year alone he’s been right at his top to win the $NZ400,000 TAB Trot in Cambridge and the $500,000 Brisbane Inter Dominion final.
This campaign has been all about Tuesday’s $NZ400,000 Group 1 Dominion Trot at Addington.
Although winless in five starts this campaign, a sharp workout at Addington yesterday (Saturday) convinced trainer-driver Chris Svanosio his millionaire trotter was right on target.
“He always needs a bit of racing to get to his top and he’s had that now,” he said.
“He worked really well before that last run at Maryborough and I was happy with his run given how the race was run.
“Tayla French has been looking after him over there for us and she took him in with Parisian Artiste and Jilliby Ballerini to work at Addington and said he worked really nicely.”
Svanosio said the standing-start, gruelling 3200m distance and barrier four suited Arcee Phoenix.
“He really likes these sorts of staying races,” he said. “I like the draw, if he can step away well, I’d love to be right up on the speed.”
Arcee Phoenix, a long-time Dominion favourite, has firmed from $10 to $7 since the barrier draw.
The six-year-old ran a close fourth to retired champion Just Believe in last year’s Dominion before backing-up for a similarly good fourth in the Group 1 NZ Trotting free-for-all three days later.
That trip was a learning curve for Arcee Phoenix and Svanosio and paved the way for their return trip to NZ in April to win the TAB Trot in Cambridge.
