Trainer Hanna Powell heads to Sandown in search of her first city victory with a horse chasing a third straight victory.
Ultimate Kiss runs for Powell in the ive > Handicap (1300m) on Wednesday after scoring wins at his only two starts back from an 18-month break.
Powell has been training since the late 1990’s and has 50 winners to her credit from almost 580 runners but is yet to crack it for success in the metropolitan area, despite having placings at Sandown with Ultimate Kiss previously.
She is again looking forward to seeing Ultimate Kiss at Sandown.
“I’m not looking forward to the drive there or the drive back, back I’m looking forward to the race,” Powell said.
“He had 18 months off. He had a tendon injury, but he has been in work since mid-January.
“I’m on a 50-acre property and I pre-train them off the quad bike around the hills.
“He had a lot of going up-and-down the hills next to me with me driving the quad bike before he started to gallop seriously.”
Ultimate Kiss resumed with a three-length win at Seymour on July 2 and nine days later backed it up with a 3-¼ length win at Bendigo.
“That would be nice again, but this field is a bit harder,” Powell said.
“I have a very good track rider and she has a very good feel of him, and she says he is feeling better.
“The track won’t worry him, and neither will the outside barrier.
“I’m sure he will come in a bit, but just the way he starts he should have no trouble getting across.”
Being a small trainer with just four horses in work, Powell said it can be difficult finding a rider for her horses.
Ultimate Kiss will have his third rider in as many starts this campaign with Daniel Stackhouse taking the ride.
“Luckily, I’ve found a decent jockey,” Powell said.
“It’s pretty hard when you’re just a small-time trainer because all the big boys, and girls, have all got the good jockeys.
“It was lucky that Daniel Stackhouse was on one of Hayes’ in that race, and I think the story goes that they decided to run that horse in a different race.”