Paul Harris has described himself as “a kid in a candy store” as he prepares 11 runners for Friday’s polytrack meeting at Riccarton, among them Green Luck in his final lead-up to next month’s Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup (1600m).

The North Canterbury trainer was forced to scratch former Australia and Hong Kong galloper Green Luck from last week’s Ashburton meeting with a stone bruise, dictating his path in a different direction towards the Winter Cup at Riccarton on August 6.

“He was a little scratchy in his final piece of work before Ashburton, then we found the stone bruise. We missed a week’s work with him,” Harris said.

“We just had to button him off but luckily we’ve got the beach. He was just quite tender on it but it blew out then we just had an open wound to tend to. It’s just that time of year but he’s missed a couple of important gallops.

“I wasn’t too worried about missing Ashburton but leading into tomorrow, he is going to be vulnerable.”

Harris said he was delighted with the way Green Luck’s stone bruise had healed, crediting his farrier and staff with doing “a wonderful job”.

“If he had gone to Ashburton, he wouldn’t be racing this week. He’d have gone to Oamaru next week but now he can race tomorrow then do the rest of his work on the beach. He won’t have another race before the Winter Cup,” Harris said.

“The club at Rangiora has agreed to let me gallop him on the inside of the grass there which will really help.”

While Harris was wary of Green Luck having missed key exercise work through the stone bruise, he said the Street Cry seven-year-old gelding’s class would carry him a long way for Friday’s Speight’s Open Handicap (1400m), in which has been again allotted topweight of 62kg, the same weight he carried to an impressive New Zealand debut win at the track last month.

I’m not using the foot abscess as an excuse because I know his ability but I’m just hoping that last four or five strides that his class kicks in because he will be vulnerable,” Harris said.

“He was incredibly courageous there last time. I knew how little he’d done in preparation and I was pleasantly surprised by the way he won. He set a new track record carrying 62 kilos, fighting back after he was headed. There was so much merit to his win.

“Any horse that can carry that sort of weight and run 1:22 for 1400m is a pretty smart horse. After tomorrow, he’s got three weeks till the Winter Cup and he’s progressing beautifully. We’re very excited about it.”

Harris will produce Fame Shames and Beau Stitch in the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge 1200, the pair having finished second and third respectively behind Tadita at Oamaru last month.

“I’m really looking forward to Beau Stitch and whether he can bring his turf form onto the synthetic,” Harris said. 

“He could end up being one of South Island’s top sprinters this spring and summer. His main aim this year will be the Stewards (Stakes, Gr.3 over 1200m at Riccarton on November 12). He’s a classy animal.”

Harris’ other runners are Wannabe ‘N’ Paris, Beauty’s Secret, Kenki, Black Cheetah, Goodanya, Double Prosperity, Red Sunday and Oceans Away.

“I’m really looking forward to this meeting. I looked around the stable this morning and I felt like a kid in a candy store,” he said.

“I’ve got 25 horses in work and I’m pretty happy with the team I’ve got around me. We’re fourth on the South Island premiership and I’m very proud of that.”