Reigning Inter Dominion champion Arcee Phoenix may not be trainer Chris Svanosio’s best hope of successfully defending the crown at Albion Park on July 18.
While Arcee Phoenix has won 17 races and almost $1.1 million, Svanosio said his emerging stablemate Lovemeto is right alongside him.
“There’s not much between them at all,” he said. “Lovemeto is as good a trotter as I’ve trained, it’s just he’s had his share of problems, but he’s going so well now and Kerryn (Manning) is driving him so well.
“He ran that great race against Keayang Zahara a couple of months back (second in the Group 1 Grand Prix) and he’s gone on with it since.
“He’s up and firing and Arcee Phoenix is on his way back from a break.”
Lovemeto has posted three wins (and three placings) from his past six starts at Melton, including a close second to the classy Im Bobby last Saturday night.
Arcee Phoenix, who also won the huge TAB Trot in NZ last year, has gone winless in his past 12 starts.
Svanosio conceded he just had not been the same horse last campaign and opted to give him a spell after finishing fifth in the Group 1 Great Southern Star (to Keayang Zahara) on February 14. Lovemeto was eighth in that race.
“We found a few little things and did some maintenance work on him, which is something we’ve never done before with him,” he said.
“He’s had plenty of work and three trials now and the signs are good.”
Arcee Phoenix returns to racing in a ripper 2240m trotting free-for-all to open the Melton on Saturday night.
His rivals include last year’s Australian 3YO Trotter of the Year, Mecarno, who is also first-up, classy veteran Im Bobby and former Inter Dominion placegetter Keayang Stuka.
Arcee Phoenix ran a close second to his stablemate Gotfeelingsyouknow, who is also in Saturday night’s race, when he ran his own last 800m in 56.1sec at Melton on Tuesday.
“This will be the first of a couple of runs into him before Brisbane and they’ve got (trotting) free-for-alls programmed every week for the next month,” Svanosio said.
Arcee Phoenix will be one of at least three trotters Svanosio will take north for the Inter Dominion.
“It’s exciting to be going back to defend the title with a nice team of horses,” he said.
“I’ve got six trotters nominated and hope to take at least three of them. Lovemeto and Remus Phoenix are going well and Arcee Phoenix isn’t far away.
“Gotfeelingsyouknow trialled well and Saturday’s race will tell us more about where’s at, I’ll give Kyvalley Maven a run soon to see where he’s at and Aldebaran Acrux is in the mix, too.”
Lightly raced but emerging three-year-old Co Captain, who has won two of his five starts, is the lone pacer Svanosio will take to Brisbane.
He ran a close second in a Melton trial on Tuesday.
“I quite like him. He’ll go up and have a lead-up race so see if he’s worthy of running in the (Queensland) Derby,” he said.
