Slot Taken in 2025 The Supernova field

Promising galloper Taken is set to tackle proven elite opposition when he lines up in The Supernova at Pakenham.

The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained gelding is shooting for a sixth consecutive victory in Saturday’s second Southside Racing slot race.

But standing in his way are high-class rivals Here To Shock and Private Eye, making the 1400-metre assignment a genuine test.

“It will be hard to beat Here To Shock and Private Eye at the weight scale, but we’ve got a progressive horse, and I know for one thing, he is a winner,” Kent Jnr said.

“He’s yet to miss a place in 10 starts, five wins and five placings, so he doesn’t like losing.”

Taken resumed with a polished benchmark 84 win over 1400m at Caulfield on November 15, adding to the four-race streak he built earlier this year.

Remaining at 1400m second-up is not ideal, Kent Jnr admitted, but part-owner Carl Holt’s slot made the decision straightforward.

“We do think his best trip is a mile and Ethan thinks he may even get further,” Kent Jnr said.

“Carl Holt is a big player in the game. He has a lot of horses, a lot of luck in our stables and he’s got a slot and was very keen to run.

“It fits in nicely to his program. He has won his last five, so he had earned his shot and we’re four weeks from his win at Caulfield.

“He’s nice and fresh to stay at the 1400 (metres) and Pakenham is a beautiful track for him.”

Kent Jnr remains unsure how far the gelding can progress, noting his sharp rise since arriving from New Zealand.

“He was a relatively inexperienced find in New Zealand and I don’t know where his ceiling is,” Kent Jnr said.

“His wins at Flemington in the winter were quite impressive, but they were in moderate class and the fact that he came back and won first-up in open class suggests he might have gone to the next level.”

Punters can compare odds for The Supernova at Australia’s best betting sites.