Chris Svanosio’s sights are firmly set on what’s ahead, not what’s unfolded so far this season with his stable star Arcee Phoenix.
After a 2025 to bottle, Arcee Phoenix has gone winless in six starts and never looked his awesome best at any stage.
It’s a stark contrast to last year when the gelding’s 16 starts netted six wins, five placings and almost $700,000.
Arcee Phoenix won NZ’s richest trotting race, the TAB Trot last April, and then made Svanosio’s dreams come true by adding the Brisbane Inter Dominion trotting final in July.
“If he wins one race this year and that race is the Inter Dominion final, then that’ll be fine by us,” Svanosio said.
“It’s an honour being the defending (Inter Dominion) champion and that’s where our sights are set now.”
Svanosio pushed through to the huge Great Southern Star series with Arcee Phoenix earlier this year, probably more hopeful than confident his star would recapture his best form.
He ran second in his Great Southern Star heat before a fifth in the final.
The runs were good for a normal trotter, but below the lofty standards Arcee Phoenix had previously set.
“We got him fully vetted and found a few things which required some maintenance. He’d never had that in his life,” Svanosio said.
“He had some time on the water walker and we’ve been really pleased since he’s come back home here.
“He seems terrific and, most importantly, he’s finishing his work off really strongly, which is a great sign.”
Svanosio will look for a trial in the next fortnight.
“A trial, a race or two and then, if he’s where we want him, we’ll be off to Queensland again,” he said.
Arcee Phoenix’s title defence has been boosted by the absence of champion trotting mare Keayang Zahara in Brisbane.
“It still won’t be easy, but it will be a bit easier without having to take on a superstar like her,” Svanosio said.
“There will still be some top trotters there, including Gus on his home track. He looked awesome winning those two big races in NZ late last year.”
Arcee Phoenix will headline Svanosio’s Brisbane raid, which looks even stronger after former Kiwi trotter Lovemetoo and Remus Phoenix ran the quinella in last Saturday night’s Melton free-for-all.
Lovemetoo, a former star Kiwi juvenile, has shown glimpses and scored his best win for Svanosio yet when sat parked and cruised to victory in slick time.
Remus Phoenix, who ran third to Keayang Zahara and Jilliby Ballerini in the Group 1 Hammerhead Mile at Menangle on March 14, has continued the form since returning home with a win, two placings and a fourth.
