Lemond has the speed to upset hot favourite
Trainer Ross Paynter believes sheer speed gives Lemond a shot at upsetting Speeding Spur in today’s $100,000 Trotting Free-For-All at Addington.
And Speeding Spur’s trainer John Dickie agrees with him.
Speeding Spur will start one of the hottest favourites of the day in the group one sprint, with his last-start Kaikoura win suggesting he is back to his best form.
Add that to his perfect manners and barrier three behind the mobile and he looks likely to be leading with a lap to go and then it will take something special to run him down.
But the best version of Lemond might have that something special.
Lemond is not as brave, trustworthy or flat out good as Speeding Spur, which is why the latter has won over $900,000 and the former just $210,000.
But what Lemond likes to do is sprint, with nine of his 12 career victories coming over 2200m or less, the biggest when he was able to lead then trail in the $100,000 Anzac Cup (2200m mobile) last April, beating among others Speeding Spur.
In fact the pair have met four times and the score is 2-2 and both times Lemond has finished in front of Speeding Spur have been in sprint trips.
That doesn’t mean he will repeat that today but if he remains around the $4.50 mark in what could develop into a two-horse race he makes each way value or at least a cover bet for those launching into Speeding Spur.
Waikato-based Paynter believes his stable star can lead from the ace and either stay in front or trail Speeding Spur, which would give him the long and wide Addington passing lane to try to slingshot the potential leader.
“I think he has a chance of doing that,” says Paynter.
“He is very well and I was happy with him at the Cup trial the other day. He hung a bit because I only had a half boring pole on him but the full one will go back on this week.
“I am willing to forgive his gallop at Auckland last start when his blood tests suggested he was a little tied up and he has settled in really well down here. I think he has a lot of things in his favour.”
So if — and with Lemond there is always an if — he behaves, Lemond might look the passing lane winner halfway down the straight. The question will be how much he wants it and whether Speeding Spur sees him coming and has time to fight him off?
Trainer Dickie couldn’t be happier with how Speeding Spur has returned this season, with an injury-free off season rejuvenating him.
“He is as good as he has been since he was 4 and we couldn’t be happier with him,” Dickie confirms.
“But probably the one thing he doesn’t have now that he used to have is that very quick speed, being an older horse.
“So he can be susceptible to a horse getting him for speed. I think that would be his biggest danger in this race.”