Mount Mitty winning at Dunkeld (Image: Racing Photos)
Injury made for a stuttering start to the racing career of Mount Mitty but, with the gelding now sound, trainer Brent Stanley believes he'll continue to deliver on his ability.
The four-year-old sprinter has won three of his six starts and placed in two others, all on country tracks, but on Friday night heads to The Valley and looks well placed in the 955m Challenge.
"He's been kept fresh, I've spaced him in between runs, he's drawn a good barrier, so I would envision him jumping and leading and taking some beating again," Stanley said.
Mount Mitty resumed last start at Dunkeld with a soft four-length win over 1000m in a Benchmark 64. The exact kind of run Stanley sent him there for.
Friday night won't be that easy, but the dimensions of The Valley hold no fear after navigating the tight surrounds of Dunkeld. And, for Stanley, the competition holds no fear either.
"His benchmark ability is going to be around the 90 I think, so this sort of rating race (BM70) should be really good for him," he said.
"He's fast and he's been kept fresh for these sprint races."
While he knows his horse is fast and talented, Stanley is under no illusion the 955m benchmark of 54.54 seconds, set by the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Meteorite on October 2, is not under threat.
"Unless the barriers are moved forward and the tail wind is ridiculous, nobody will be beating that," he said.