Logan Hollis and Shane Robertson work a team of 15 at Pukekohe and two of their best will line up at Cambridge Raceway on Thursday.
Hollis said he couldn’t split Toot Toot (race 7) and Big Mach (race 4) when asked what was the stable’s best winning chance at the Waikato – Bay Of Plenty Harness Racing meeting.
“They are both very nice pacers – probably two of the best in our stable. They have both worked well since their last starts. Toot Toot (R69) has a higher rating than Big Mach (R60), but there’s not much between them.
“We are expecting them both to go okay on Thursday. They can both win. It’s hard to split them,” Hollis said.
Toot Toot will line up in the $7,500 Henry Hu and Blue Beat R60 to R71 Pace. Big Mach was a double acceptor and has been scratched from that event in favour of the Crackabrie and Creator Mobile for the R53 to R60 pacers.
They are both 2200m mobile events and the duo have drawn seven and 10 (second row), and will be driven by Hollis and Philip Butcher respectively.
“Toot Toot has some little quirks but we have worked them out and has the better draw to work with. He’s done a good job because we have placed him well.
“He came up from the South Island and giving him six months off was the making of him. He’s never been out of the money on the track,” Hollis said.
The 5-year-old son of Gotta Go Cullen - Transportia Midfrew, has won twice and placed once from three starts at Cambridge Raceway. He’s also won three of his seven starts over the distance and also placed twice.
More impressively he has also won four of his last six starts, including two in good time at Alexandra Park.
“He’s a very nice gelding, who will probably take on the good horses at the premier meeting at Alexandra Park next month. He’s quite underrated. He had a week off to freshen for this race. We have purposely kept him away from standing starts,” Hollis said.
Co-owner/breeder John Mooney, who is the Chairman of the New Zealand Standardbred Breeders Association, said Toot Toot got his name using the ‘Gotta Go’ part of his sire and the ‘Transport’ part of his dam’s name.
Meanwhile, Big Mach comes into his race with an eye-catching third behind Mark Of Integrity and Raschker at Cambridge Raceway on February 3.
Hollis situated Big Mach three-back on the outside from his four draw. He then got cramped when the three-wide train circled at the bell.
In the home straight Hollis hooked him out five-wide, and in spite of pulling hard on the far turn, the bay absolutely motored down the outer to get within two lengths of the winner.
That run had "next time" written all over it.
That was the Charley Hadley bred son of Mach Three and Outback Girl’s only start on the track. He’s also won one race and placed four times from 10 starts at Cambridge.
“I like him a lot and if he can get a run through I think he can go close. I think we are yet to see the best of him. He’s won two of his 11 starts including one in 2:43 at Auckland,” Hollis said.
