Wet tracks have cut a swathe through numbers in today's race cardsbut in the final race at Nowra Al Be Trendy won't be complaining.
The lightly raced five-year-old tackles the Stockland Nowra Handicap (race 8) – a Benchmark 55 over 1200m – and with a good record on soft ground should prove hard to beat.
Prepared by Gwenda Markwell at Kembla Grange, Al Be Trendy has raced only 13 times for two wins and two minors.
But both wins have come on slow to heavy tracks as well as a heavy track placing.
Last spring he raced mainly on top of the ground and failed to register a placing, his record on good ground now stands at four starts for no result.
So he went for a long break and resumed on a dead track at Nowra in this class.
Settling fourth and turning there, he loomed up to second but faded over the final stages, perhaps running out of condition after such a long spell, to finish eighth and beaten 3.2 lengths from the winner.
He then stepped up to 1100m at Bathurst, again on dead ground, and took up the running from the outside gate, crossing over and racing well there.
He turned in front and was soon headed but to his credit fought on well for a two length second behind Stellar Academy.
Today he will strip fitter again and is suited by the longer journey.
He has drawn much better and now gets on to the sort of conditions where he has shown his best form.
From gate five he should prove hard to catch.
The Terry Robinson trained Gladiator rates highly but the query is the soft ground.
The gelding is fitter for three runs from a spell and looks close to a win.
He resumed on the Acton track in Canberra and after sitting second boxed on well for fourth, then returned there next time, again in a Benchmark 60, and after racing up to share the lead faded to finish fifth.
Last start, once more in Canberra, he settled off the pace and edged closer approaching the bend to third before running on strongly and finishing second behind Mexican Maracas.
The gelding is entered for yet another race on the Acton course this Sunday but connections have accepted to run here on the soft ground.
His three runs on heavy track, all in North Queensland when trained by another yard, were poor to say the least.
Today he is ready to show his best and was runner up at his only try here.
He rates strongly but has to be taken on trust in the conditions.
Local galloper Sycamore Road relishes the soft ground and with the claim will take catching.
The gelding has two wins and seven minors on his home course and has a decent record fresh.
On heavy track he has raced eight times for two of his three wins plus a further four minors.
He tackles today's race with just 54.5kg after the claim and from a good gate will take catching.
American Tale scored a big win in heavy ground two starts back and looks hard to hold out.
The Canberra trained gelding was a luckless seventh at home on the Acton track three back then drew a wide gate at Wagga in heavy ground in this class.
He settled well back but stormed home to score a two length win at his only try in the conditions.
Last start he raced in tougher grade at Wagga and wasn't far away but today drops a class and gets back to the softer ground.
He will get back from a wide gate again but should be hitting the line hard.
