By Michael Guerin
Harness racing looks set for a betting bonanza after some stunning fields were drawn for IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup day at Addington raceway on Tuesday.
The Cup is full and fantastic, there are plenty of Australians in the $400,000 Renwick Farms Dominion and the Sires’ Stakes Final shapes as a classic North versus South contest.
Add in a TAB Junior Free-For-All boosted by a Miracle Mile winner in Catch A Wave, Sooner The Better and Cup emergency Aroda from Queensland and this is a Cup day which will attract eyeballs like rarely before in the last 20 years.
But the Cup will as always be the centrepiece and not only has it attracted a final field of 18 (three emergencies) but four genuine superstars in Leap To Fame, Swayzee, Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming.
As we all know Australian champion Leap To Fame was in doubt for the Cup when taken off his plane from Sydney last week just hours before the flight with a poor blood report but his latest blood test on Tuesday came back 100 per cent.
So he and stablemate Aroda (emergency) will fly from Sydney to Christchurch via Auckland on Sunday, with their trainer Grant Dixon adamant flying in so close to the great race won’t affect their chances.
Add in the even bigger shock of Swayzee and then the stars we already expected to be there and the Cup’s boosted $1million stake is doing its job.
Swayzee faces starting from the second line on Tuesday as he did last year but in a far stronger field this time with Leap To Fame, Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming all drawn the front line along with Auckland Cup winner Better Eclipse.
Their involvement means the current holders of the New Zealand, Auckland, Hunter and Victoria Cup winners are in the race as well as the reigning champs of the Inter Dominion, Miracle Mile, $1million Race by Grins and the Blacks A Fake (G1).
So this Cup, providing there are no more major shocks, will contain the winners of every pacing race that really matters.
Australia’s champion trotter Just Believe will completely dominate betting in the $400,000 Renwick Farms Dominion which has been moved to Tuesday from its traditional Show Day date on the Friday of Cup week.
Add in an old school north versus south battle in the Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes Final between Captain Sampson (barrier 1) and Marketplace (8) on Tuesday and harness racing’s biggest day could reach record turnover levels.
And before all that fun starts Duchess Megxit goes will have to overcome the outside barrier in the $200,000 Nevele R Fillies Final.
To see Tuesday’s fields at Addington click here