Coastal Babe Out To Clinch Second Harness Million Title

Coastal Babe (NZ) (Downbytheseaside) will take on a classy line up when she attempts to bank her second Harness Million title in the $150,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million Three-Year-Old Fillies Final (2200m) at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

The Group One winning pacer looks perfectly poised from barrier 2 in her second Harness Million tilt for trainer Steven Reid and driver Matthew White.

Coastal Babe was a powerful winner of last year’s $150,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million Two-Year-Old Fillies Final (1980m) at Addington.

The star filly is set to start at short odds at Alexandra Park on Friday night from her key barrier draw.

White was pleased with the filly’s last start effort and is looking forward to linking up Coastal Babe after their second at the same track last week.

“She is a nice filly and she ran on well last week and should be fitter for that run.”

“She has got a pretty good draw but it will be interesting to see how things pan out.”

“She doesn’t have to lead, a lot will depend on what happens when the gate leaves.”

White rates the Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan trained pairing of Kiss (NZ) (Always B Miki) and Ultimate Racy Girl (NZ) (Ultimate Machete) as the hardest horses for Coastal Babe to beat.

Kiss is set to a major player after drawing barrier 1 on Friday night.

While Ultimate Racy Girl also looks a serious winning threat from barrier 4.

Both Purdon-Phelan fillies have graduated to the NZB Standardbred Harness Million Three-Year-Old Fillies Final after being purchased as weanlings.

Both fillies also went excellent races in their warm up runs at Alexandra Park last week where they took on Coastal Babe.

Madrid (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) was badly hampered at the start of another event last week, but given her class she looks a big chance of bouncing back in Friday night’s lucrative event.

The Mark and Nathan Purdon trained two-year-old is proven at the elite level with her second placing in the Group One Sires Stakes Series Final (1980m) at Addington late last year.

Follow Your Dream (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) ran a respectable race in that Group One event and she heads into Friday night’s Harness Million on the back of a solid lead up run at Alexandra Park.

It's Nae Or Never (NZ) (Art Major), Wallflower (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) and Irresistible (NZ) (Sweet Lou) will each step up to race at black-type level for the first time after showing plenty of promise in their careers so far.

2024’s outstanding field is set to clash in the $150,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million Three-Year-Old Fillies Final at 8.18 pm on Friday night at Alexandra Park.