Comeback queen New Years Jay looked on course for the Kurow Cup on Sunday when she won a trial at Oamaru four days ago, sprinting her last 800m in 58.7sec to beat in-form race rival Playboy Prince.
The talented 10-year- old mare has not raced since July, 2016, when she won her eighth career race at Auckland’s Alexandra Park.
Her clash with rising star James Dean in the $14,500 cup (2600m stand) will be a highlight of the card, with Otago beach trainer Graeme Anderson confident she will go well.
“New Years Jay came to me about eight weeks ago and she was in fantastic order,” he said. “She looks like a four-year- old mare, not a 10-year- old. She was pretty fit so it was just a case of trying to put on a few finishing touches.
“A trial mid-week will really tidy her up I think and then we will be right to go, she’s pretty ready. Her work has been very good.”
James Dean is gunning for four straight wins for Rakaia trainer-driver Leo O’Reilly, but faces his toughest test so far.
New Years Jay’s race return after failing to get into foal will be a welcome one to the mares’ ranks and that’s the direction Anderson and part-owners, the Anderton family of galloping fame, are likely to take.
“We won’t be nominating for the NZ Cup, but she may race in a few of the lead-up races.”
Meanwhile, the return to racing of Miracle Rising ($4.60 fixed odds) at Oamaru has the bookies on full alert, but Canterbury trainer-driver Gavin Smith is mystified about his lacklustre form this year.
Miracle Rising was one of the better juvenile trotters last year and downed subsequent Jewels winner Custodian at Addington in April.
The beautifully-bred son of Muscle Mass was heading towards the Ruby at Cambridge at that stage, but things were about to go off the rails and when he lines up at Kurow it will be his first race in 15 months.
Smith had Miracle Rising back at the trials in February, but he was not happy with him.
“As a two-year- old we thought he was going to be a derby horse,” said Smith.
“We had to shut him down before the Jewels because a few niggles crept in as one might have expected with a juvenile which was already 17 hands and over 500 kgs.

“We gave him a good spell and the owners were entitled to be excited about his prospects as a three-year- old last season.”
But Miracle Rising wasn’t a shadow of himself when worked up and Smith would soon be tipping him out again.
“He looked awesome when he came back in last season but we were going nowhere.
Then he got a bit naughty so we decided to geld him and spell him again.
“But nothing has really changed this time in either and I don’t know where he’s gone – if anyone can find him I’d be very happy if they could tell me where he is.
“I’d expect him to be competitive on Sunday. I’ve changed his work around and he’s going short trips like he did as a two-year- old and he was a bit better at the trials last week.
“But I sure would like to know where the real Miracle Rising has got to – he could trot a quarter in 27s at two, but now he’s flat going 29s.
“He looks great and there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with him – believe me we’ve been over him with a fine tooth comb – but it must be something internal.”
Smith also has God Only Knows ($3.20) at Oamaru and he’s a good chance from barrier two in race three, a 2000m mobile.