Alford hopes to Reign again against threats old and new

Chris Alford will take the reins of proven types in two highly anticipated open-class metropolitan headliners, eager to upstage foes young and old.

Saturday night marks the return of metropolitan racing to Tabcorp Park Melton after the Mildura Cups Carnival and the $24,000 headliners will soak up much of the attention.

Alford will partner Wobelee in the DNR Logistics Vulcan Trotters Free For All after guiding Max Delight in the TAB Golden Reign Free For All, the latter a title he’s won previously when steering another David Aiken trained Group 1 champ, Lennytheshark, in 2015.

It’s a valued trophy given the name of the champion horse that it carries.

“(Golden Reign) was the first Group 1 winner we got and took us on a great ride,” Alford said. “He was something special.”

He’s optimistic Max Delight can similarly impress Saturday night, with the Victoria Cup champ to start favourite from gate four, with stablemate and second favourite Malcolms Rhythm on his inside.

“(Max Delight)’s pretty versatile, he can get off the gate really quick and he can take a sit or do a bit of work in the run, it just depends on the tempo and how the race is run,” Alford said.

“He had a nice easy kill at Melton a couple of weeks back and then at Wagga he got stuck out three wide and then in the death all the way in a (1:49.7) mile. Probably would have finished a bit closer to the winner but the horse under him wobbled and pushed him three wide around the bend and the winner got the dream run through.

“He’s racing really well, it’s a good field Saturday night but I wouldn’t swap him for anyone.”

Max Delight and Malcolms Rhythm have seen a bit of each other of late, including the former getting the upper hand in this month’s TAB Captain Sandy Free For All.

“Max has probably got the better head-to-head record, but he seems to have a bit more luck than (Malcolms Rhythm),” Alford said.

“I think the other horse was held up last week and hit the line well, and the other night when Max won he was climbing all over the back of us. Same thing in the Victoria Cup, (Malcolms Rhythm) was steaming home, Josh got stuck in a little gap and got tipped out, otherwise he would have been in that. I don’t think there’s a lot between them, but Max’s record sort of says otherwise.”

The threats will likely be even greater in the night’s feature trot, when Alford will partner with Wobelee for the 61^st time against a mix of competitive veterans like McLovin and Sundons Courage and a front line brimming with young talent.

Among them is Queen Elida who will start on the outside of the front row for Brent Lilley, with Anthony Butt to take the drive from regular reinsman Alford, who is sticking with Wobelee.

“In six months’ time (Queen Elida) will probably be up there with the likes of Im Ready Jet and horses like that,” Alford said.

“I think she’s had three trials now and last week at Bacchus Marsh she felt like a jet, handled the pacers pretty easily and ran really good time.

“The draw’s not ideal for her first up, over 1700 and against the free-for-allers, but I’m sure in six months she will be one of the better ones.”

He also expects big things of favourite Mufasa Metro and Ultimate Stride, who will launch from gates one and two.

“I thought Mufasa Metro was really good the week before when he sat parked and a mile rate of (1:57) and just blew them away.

“He looks like he’s come back a lot better as a four-year-old than what he was last year.

“The Stride horse, he looks like a really good up and comer too, but until they prove it in free-for-all level you don’t really know.”

As for Wobelee, “he had six weeks between runs when he had his first up last week and ran second behind Hopeful Beauty”.

“He ran well, she just got away from him when she sprinted, but he hit the line well. He seems to have come a long a lot better and fitter since then.

“He’s got not too bad a draw, even though he’s in 10 he won’t be in the early bustle and hopefully they crack out at a really good first quarter and don’t pull up in the second one and we can get home strong.”