NEIL Pfeiffer is hoping he can start 2013 the same way he finished 2012 – on a high.
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Pfeiffer, who has just relocated his horse training base from Bendigo to Kyneton, celebrated his first city success with sprinting filly She’s Ellie at Moonee Valley on December 21.
She’s Ellie returns to the track in a $30,000 handicap over 1000m at Cranbourne tomorrow night and Pfeiffer is hoping for a repeat performance.
“She’s always showed me she had ability, but she’s been a bit erratic,’’ Pfeiffer said.
“She should have run third at Flemington last preparation, but she did a bit wrong.
“She’s racing a bit better this time in. At the Valley she went straight to the front and was too good.
“If she races in behind horses she tends to hang and throws her head around, so at this stage the best way to ride her is out in front.
“Hopefully, we can get her over more ground later on as she learns to settle more.”
Leading jockey Craig Newitt must have been impressed with She’s Ellie’s six length win at Moonee Valley.
The in-form hoop is going to Cranbourne just to ride She’s Ellie.
“If she runs well at Cranbourne we might give her a freshen up and look at those 955m series races at Moonee Valley,” Pfeiffer said.
Pfeiffer, a former apprentice jockey, has been training for seven years.
In the past week he has moved to Kyneton to train alongside his partner Rebecca Standen.
“Between Rebecca and I we have 10 to 15 in work and we have a few more to come in as well,’’ he said.
“We’ve mainly got younger horses.”
He’s hoping for some immediate success when he saddles up Written In The Wind and Irreproachable in a maiden at Kyneton today.
Irreproachable is having its first start for a month after a close-up fourth at Ararat, while Written In The Wind had no luck from a wide barrier last start and looks well placed today.
“Both were reasonable runs last time, so they should be thereabouts,” Pfeiffer said.
“Written In The Wind overraced last start so we’ve dropped her back in distance in the hope there’s a bit of speed on and she’ll travel better.
“She’s showed us a bit of ability.”