IMPRESSIVE griffin Quick Action faces open company for the first time tonight but the Ivan Allan-trained youngster looks banker material for the first leg of the Double Trio at Happy Valley. Irish-bred Quick Action has won two from two and looked distinctly impressive in doing so - particularly his first-up effort. The astute Allan had him ticking over for his second run and the class the youngster possesses was easily enough to see him take care of Faisca over the longer sprint at Happy Valley. Champion jockey Basil Marcus partnered Quick Action at both his wins and is aboard tonight as the three-year-old bids for a hat-trick. Quick Action is ideally named as he does have a flowing galloping action and he is certainly pacy enough, too. Admittedly, he faces up to Happy Valley and the lights for the first time and it can be disconcerting for younger horses but he has such obvious ability that the chance must be taken that he, in turn, will take it all in his stride. The John Moore-trained Shaka Zulu has placed form over the minimum 975-metre trip and certainly put in an eye-catching run for claimer Victor C. F. Chan last time. However, this short trip may not be right for him but Shaka Zulu will be running on and is worth putting in the DT. Happy Cheers was slightly disappointing on Saturday but finished fourth and is quickly backed up here. That policy has worked before and he could be worth putting in. The second leg of the DT is a Classes Five and Six event over the testing trip of 2,230 metres and not too many in this field of 10 are going to run it out strongly. One undoubtedly who will is the Mick Kinane-ridden Figure It Out who scored early in the season over 1,800 metres and simply needs as much ground as he can get. On the narrow D Course last time out, Figure It Out was ridden up on the pace and was only just caught close home, eventually finishing third. In this very modest field Figure It Out does look fully capable of finishing in the frame which is the prime necessity for a DT banker. Trainer Bruce Hutchison has called on the services of Michael Clarke for plodding type New Pegasus who should also be suited by the trip. New Pegasus finished second last time out for Tony Cruz over 1,800 metres but is bred for a trip like this. He is a definite leg for the DT. Cruz has gone on to Three Joys who has modest claims while High Reward is an unknown quantity but might be worth taking a chance with here.
