By Michael Guerin
There is no hiding from the reason for Merlin’s defeat in the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup and he won’t be hiding in tonight’s Allied Security New Zealand Free-For-All at Addington either.
The form New Zealand pacer of the year only battled into fourth in the Cup won by Swayzee on Tuesday and while there is no shame in being beaten by the winner the fact Merlin was run down for third by Republican Party made his performance clearly below par for co-trainer Scott Phelan.
“He just didn’t finish the 3200m off as well as he would a shorter trip,” says Phelan.
“That is not to say he won’t win a 3200m race in the future and maybe an Auckland Cup may suit him better than a New Zealand Cup.
“But he wasn’t as good over 3200m and maybe he never will be. That’s just being honest.”
Phelan and training partner Barry Purdon can turn the page quickly as Merlin is back to the more suitable 1980m mobile of the NZ Pacing Free-For-All at today’s reinvigorated Show Day twilight meeting.
With two scratchings inside him he will start from barrier 5 and Phelan says he wants to see Merlin in front and feeling good to get his mojo back.
“He came through the Cup well and we know he has gate speed so I’d like to see him lead, which might make Republican Party the danger if he sits on our back.”
Crucial players in those that early burn could be the Australian pair Catch A Wave and perhaps to a lesser degree The Falcon, now trained by Jason Grimson.
Phelan and Purdon have had a sometimes frustrating southern campaign, including Duchess Megxit getting run down late in her Group 1 on Tuesday after copping pressure.
“Six months ago we were winning everything and now we aren’t but that is racing and we have some really good chances on Friday,” says Phelan.
They include Jeremiah in the new $500,000 pacing slot race Hill Lee and Scott The Velocity, in which the stable also have Better Knuckle Up.
“Jeremiah has some gate speed so he could go forward and even lead so he will be hard to beat.
“Better Knuckle Up could need some luck from two on the second line but if Chase A Dream gets a good run through and has any luck I think we all might struggle to beat him.”
Can Muscle Mountain challenge the champ?
By Michael Guerin
Punters can expect a refreshing change in the Livamol New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All today — a Kiwi horse actually taking it to one of the Aussies.
That doesn’t mean a change of result as Victorian champion Just Believe should still win the Group 1 but it might at least make for a more interesting spectacle.
Just Believe strode to the front effortlessly on his way to winning the $400,000 Dominion on Tuesday, hours before Swayzee did the same in the New Zealand Cup for the second year running.
There were no drivers at fault in either, the Aussies had too much horsepower and that will likely be the case as Just Believe tries to remain unbeaten in New Zealand in today’s 1980m mobile.
But rival driver Ben Hope on Muscle Mountain at least wants to stretch the little Aussie superstar.
Muscle Mountain missed both the Dominion on Tuesday and the Flying Stakes at Ashburton after knocking a leg but has tangled with Just Believe before and come off second best.
On two of those occasions though he was able to beat him off the mobile gate at the start and Hope says that will be his plan today.
“I am confident I can get across him and if I do I want to stay in front,” says Hope.
“I don’t see any point handing up because then we can’t beat him and they will be pretty confident they can sit parked outside us and beat us because they have done it before.
“And that might be the case again because he could be an all-time great.”
Hope says his father Greg, who co-trains Muscle Mountain with wife Nina, took Muscle Mountain to Addington for a private workout last Saturday and loved what he felt.
“He has a real glint back in his eye and I feel like he is ready to go a big race.”