Improving Simply Sam has the speed to win again at Auckland on Thursday night

Trainer Ray Green believes Simply Sam can continue on his winning way despite having to take on a couple of higher rated interlopers.

Race seven at Auckland on Thursday night was to have been for rating 52 to 59 pacers but when only four horses were entered for the 60 and faster event, it was scrapped, Melanion (R63) and Wild Card (R64) being switched into the easier race, conditional on their being driven by claiming juniors.

But Green says Simply Sam is still the one to beat.

“You can’t fault what he’s done. If he can’t beat that lot he’s not going to go far and I think he can round them up again.”

With his great turn of foot, Green rates Simply Sam very highly and has long range aspirations to contest the New Zealand Derby in December.

And the way he swept up from second last on the home turn two weeks ago and breezed straight past his rivals to win, going away, suggested he will be more than competitive against the top three-year-olds by the end of the year.

Simply Sam had to run only 2:43.4 for that 2200 metres but he has already clocked 2:40.9 when he reeled of closing sectionals of 56 and 27 flat.

Drawn five on Thursday night, and with zero gate speed, Simply Sam will settle back in the field again but he needs only a decent crack at them in the last 400 metres to win his fourth race from only 10 starts.

Neptune … won’t be undertaking a search and destroy mission from the second row. PHOTO: Trish Dunell.Green isn’t so bullish about his chaces in the third race where Neptune and Ideal Kingdom have to take on older horses after the two-year-old race was also canned for lack of numbers.

Neptune looks to be up against it, drawn five on the second row, and Green says he’ll be driven to try for a cart into the race late.

“He won’t be going on any search and destroy mission. He didn’t run on last time but I’m picking what stopped him was being burned hard early.

“He’s a promising colt but he just needs to get a bit stronger. As long as he gets home well, I’ll be happy.”

Ideal Kingdom has drawn better in three but lacks the speed of his stablemate.

“He’s a nice little horse who’ll go a good honest race I’m sure and, if things go his way, he’s a chance. We’re backing him up three weeks in a row, which is a bit tough, but he seems to be handling it.”