Shane Fliedner was thrilled with Hi Stranger’s fast-finishing first-up second at Flemington last Saturday in the Jack Styring OAM Sprint (1100m).
 “Very pleased with the run — he’s come back as good as ever,” Fliedner said. “A win would’ve been great, naturally, but happy to have him back at the races.”
The Zoffany gelding came into the race with a strong first-up record, having won three of five fresh.
After jumping from near the inside in barrier two, jockey Dean Yendall made a beeline for the grandstand side to give Hi Stranger one clear, uninterrupted run down the straight.
“He travelled really well,”. Yendall said. “He peeled off their backs at the 300 mark and when I asked him for an effort, he finished off strongly.
“At one stage I thought I was going to win — I just wasn’t sure of the other horses to the inside — but he stuck to his guns late.”
Positioned last at the 400-metre mark, Hi Stranger reeled off terrific closing splits and only found The Astrologist better.
It was the third successive year in which Hi Stranger has been in the placings at the same Flemington meeting.
In 2019 he was third in the 1400-metre two-year-old handicap and last year he was runner-up in the Creswick Stakes.
The Astrologist and Hi Stranger have now met four times, with the ledger at 2-2. Remarkably there has been less than a length between them on every occasion.
Hi Stranger has pulled up well and will now head to the Victorian Sprint Series final at Flemington on Saturday week (July 3).
Fliedner will again likely be heading to town this Saturday, with recent winner Air Defence to tackle heat six of the Silver Bowl Series over 1400 metres at Caulfield.
Missed it by that much …
Each-way punters would’ve made tidy profits backing Bendigo-trained gallopers last weekend, even if win-only backers were out of luck.
Adam O’Neill’s Celtic Samurai led the way running on strongly at Donald on Saturday for a third placing at $21. He looks very close to a win stepping up in distance next start and is one to watch.
Kym Hann’s last-start winner Elmore Lad kept up his good recent form with another placing later on that card, while Hi Stranger started an $8.50 chance in the last at Flemington.
Back at home (Bendigo) on Sunday, the Jarrod Robinson-trained Countess Tessa performed well dropping back in trip to finish runner-up at an SP of $21.
Finally, in what would’ve been a massive quaddie killer, Erin Maher’s Sly Sloth ran out of his skin in the last on the Ballarat synthetic to finish second at a juicy $61 with double-figure odds on offer for the place.
Follow these
A frosty set of jumpouts were held at Bendigo on Tuesday morning and a couple of talented gallopers caught the eye ahead of their resumption.
• Zoutons: The talented gelding looks set to run well first up in the near future. He showed terrific early speed to lead all the way in the first jumpout and looks to have come back in great shape. Twice a winner in five starts to date who has been tested in town. Look for him first up.
• We Gottem Today Son: Not placed under a whole lot of pressure when finishing third in heat two. Showed promise in his initial preparation with a win and placing from four starts. He was tested in Saturday class at his last run but had no luck when wide without cover the trip.