Keep Attacking has been strongly backed to win at Belmont on Saturday and trainer Todd Harvey backs the support.
Keep Attacking, super impressive when winning first up from a spell, has leapt to favouritism in the Skyracing TV-Provincial Championship Series Final (1400m).
Keep Attacking, who touched $5.50, has firmed into $3.40, with Starring Knight displaced as market leader and out to $4.40 from his opening $3 price on Tabtouch.
Punters have also latched onto the Peter Fernie-trained Abloh after his slashing second at Kalgoorlie. The Al Maher gelding sits on the third line of betting at $5.50, in from $11.
Harvey said Keep Attacking, a daughter of Snippetson, had trained on strongly after surprising him with a slick win over 1200m at Pinjarra two weeks back.
He thought the four-year-old was vulnerable, but says he goes into Saturday’s $100,000 final far more confident than he did when Keep Attacking ran first up.
“He was pretty impressive first-up,” Harvey said to The Races WA.
“He ran 1:10:45sec, and they don’t break 1:11:00 there very often.
“I wasn’t super confident first-up, he hadn’t raced for a long time.
“I thought he might have needed a good hit out under his belt.
“He actually surprised me a bit that he won.
“He was very good and has improved on the run.
“I really think he is a lovely horse and he definitely has a motor.”
Keep Attacking carries 58.5kg and jumps from barrier six. Jade McNaught has picked up the ride.
“Jade actually rode him to win on debut in a Northam maiden.” Harvey said.
“She did a lot of work with him early days.
“He should just get a lovely run and pretty much the same as the other day.”
Starring Knight has drawn barrier one and carries the 60kg top weight. Chris Parnham retains the ride.
The four-year-old has won four races this campaign including a hat trick.
Last start he finished powerfully from the back of the field at Northam.
Co trainer Dan Pearce is confident Starring Knight can maintain his recent form.
“He’s been fantastic and a horse who has always shown us heaps,” Pearce said.
“He’s racing really well and won last start really impressively.
“The temptation was to claim with 60kg, but Chris (Parnham) knows him really well and has a great rapport with the horse.
“I think he’ll be pretty hard to beat if he gets a split.”
Julio Santarelli