Frankie Major not quite there yet but still a chance against weak Cambridge opposition

Trainer Ray Green reckons it might take one more run before we see Frankie Major at his best but, on sheer ability, he should still be right in contention in the sixth race at Cambridge on Thursday night.

Frankie Major ($6, $2.10) was resuming from a five-month spell and some fisticuffs with a virus when he dropped out in the run home at Auckland last Friday to run last.

But it’s not as if he performed badly, driver Maurice McKendry actually reported he thought he was going to win 600 metres from home after enjoying a trail behind the leader from the outset.

“He just got too tired up the straight,” Green said. “You had to expect that - he hadn’t done much for a while.

“If he was on his game, you’d be all over him on Thursday but I think he’ll need another run before we see the best of him.

“He should still race well, from the good draw, but Irish Whispers is obviously a tidy horse.”

Frankie Major, who contested the up-to-rating 58 race last week won by his stablemate Lincoln River, drops to a rating 47 to 54 event this week.

But his rating of 48 is not an accurate reflection of his ability, having dropped down the ratings at the tail end of his last campaign.

At his peak, Frankie Major was bashing heads with the best three-year-olds, twice running second to Merlin and once second behind Beach Flybye.

In his last start of that prep he ran 2:40 flat when seventh in the Harness Million at Auckland behind Merlin, Sooner The Bettor, Sinbad, Son Of Mac, Charlie Brown and Alta Meteor.

He also took on the best in the Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington in cup week when, from a debilitating 13 draw, he ran eighth to Don’t Stop Dreaming, Sherlock, Alta Meteor, Merlin, OK Boomer, Carrera Rapido amd Final Collect when the winner ran a slick mile rate of 1:53.6 for the 1980 metres.