You’ve just gotta love Recco on Friday night - he’s the ratings special to beat them all

If ever you’ve seen a ratings special, it’s Recco Lover at Auckland on Friday night.

Recco Lover lines up in the second race for rating 50 to 67 pacers and on 67 is the only horse with a rating even in the 60s.

That, combined with his excellent form line, points to his being a standout chance even from the outside of the second line.

Recco Lover ran a terrific third at Alexandra Park last week against a tougher field, enjoying the one-one sit before attacking the line hard to be pipped a half neck and a head by Double Rocket and Aha Reaction.

Considering it was only a sprint home - they clocked a moderate 2:44 - trainer Ray Green was surprised driver David Butcher didn’t pull the horse out until inside the 200 metre mark, just coming up short.

It said a lot for his effort that he recorded 26.8 for his last 400, equal fastest in the race, and ran his last mile in 2:01.4, seven tenths of a second faster than Double Rocket.

The run followed his fine fresh-up effort for third behind Bettorstartdreaming and Aha Reaction when he paced a slick 2:41.6 in his first start for new owner Emilio Rosati.

“Obviously he’s going to be very tough to beat with any kind of a run,’’ says Green.

“He’s definitely our best chance on Friday night.’’

Zealand Star is coming off a track record win at Cambridge but steps up crazily in grade. PHOTO: FokusPhotography.Ratings disaster

While Recco Lover is a ratings special, stablemate Zealand Star is terribly off in the ratings in the fourth race.

He advanced to a 76 mark with his outstanding track record win at Cambridge last week but finds himself in an unwinnable race against the north’s fastest pacers.

Not only does he clash with horses like former New Zealand Cup placegetter Jack’s Legend (rating 102), Lets Elope (94), On The Cards (87) and Triple Eight (84), he has to give them all a start from the unruly spot.

With regular driver Zachary Butcher away in Christchurch to pilote Havtime in the Fillies’ Sales Final, the reins on Zealand Star go to Todd MacFarlane.

But even if MacFarlane drives the perfect race on the sit-sprinter, like Butcher did at Cambridge, he will find it difficult to run past his rivals.

When he mile rated 1:54.8 for 1700 metres at Cambridge, Butcher enjoyed a perfect tow into the race behind Afortunado, then had enough room to cut back to the passing lane, recording closing sectionals of 57.4 and 28.4.

Zealand Star will have to close a lot faster than that this time.

“It will be a good test for him,’’ says Green. “We’ll see how good he is. But he’s giving some good horses a start and on paper you wouldn’t want to be rushing off to put $1000 on him.’’

Phil Bromac’s chances look only marginally brighter in the fifth race, drawn badly on the outside of the second line.

“He seems to get a bad draw every time he goes round. He’ll need to be put into the race early.’’

That’s precisely what happened last week at Cambridge when driver Andre Poutama made an early move, looping the field to sit parked, only to have the race abandoned with a fallen runner blocking the home straight.

“Andre said he was travelling lovely when they called the race off. You can’t rule him out on Friday. He could lob a place if he gets a trip.’’

Hilary Barry paces a slick 2:02.6 to win a trial at Pukekohe on February 2.While Phil Bromac has to contend with a stronger field, including the Purdon/Rasmussen’s two-year-old Virgil, stablemate Hilary Barry runs into an even meaner looking All Stars’ crew in the seventh race.

Purdon told Green some time ago he was preparing a nice Sweet Lou filly and she debuts in the form of Sweet On Me.

The first foal of $1.7 million winner Adore Me, the filly draws inside Hilary Barry, with All Stars’ second runner, Amazing Dream outside her.

Both have been trialling well and, along with Saturday’s eye-catching workout runner Little Miss Perfect, from Barry Purdon’s barn, present a real test for the Lincoln Farms’ runner.

“It will basically be a schooling run for her,’’ says Green. “I’m not holding my breath about her chances in that field but hopefully she can draw better in the final.

“Andre said she didn’t train that well the other day but she’s hopeless on her own.’’

Hilary Barry, a solid fifth on debut, showed she was in fine fettle leading all the way to win a trial at Pukekohe 11 days ago, beating race rivals Emmber and Sweeter Than Sweet.