Friday Night Lights steps up a level tonight, with four Group races at Alexandra Park and two at Addington, including the Group 1 $100,000 Fred Shaw Memorial New Zealand Trotting Championships.
It promises to be a huge night with 22 races spread across five and a half hours of racing, from 4.49pm
Marketplace’s eagerly-awaited return at Alexandra Park
By Michael Guerin
You know the young guns must be pretty special when they can put an Auckland Cup winner and a former Trotter of the Year in the shade.
But that is what Marketplace and to a lesser degree Beside Me are doing as the northern harness racing season starts to get serious at Alexandra Park tonight.
Tthe best harness horses are starting to come north or return from Australia to count down to Cambridge’s Night Of Champions on April 4 when they hold their two slot races.
That build up brings horses like pacer Republican Party (Auckland Cup) and trotter Oscar Bonavena, who downed champion Just Believe in his last ever-race at Addington in November, back to Alexandra Park tonight.
They face interesting challenges, Republican Party drawn wide in a 1700m mobile while fresh up, which has been a horror recipe for favourite punters on Friday nights recently.
Oscar Bonavena starts off a 30m handicap in the Greenlane Cup just six days after galloping early in the Hammerhead Mile at Menangle to continue a win-or-bust summer.
Ironically he looks more trustworthy from his handicap in a standing start tonight and the composition of the field and staggered handicaps mean he should be on the back of his rivals with less than two laps to go and ultimately be too quick for them.
But for all their proven power and pace the must watch horse at Alexandra Park tonight is Marketplace, making his northern debut in the Alabar Classic.
He won his last six races last season, including the Harness Millions and two Group 1s and he has the x-factor of a horse heading right to the top.
While there seems little doubt he will win a Derby or two in 2025 trainer Regan Todd says the strong gelding is almost on a hiding to nothing as a $1.25 favourite tonight.
“It is so hard for these top horses fresh up,” he says.
“This is the start of a very long three-year-old season and they can’t have hard runs every start.
“He is up here for the Harness Million next week and the Derby so this is a kick off point and I will leave it up to Craig [Ferguson, driver] as to what he does at the start.
“Once I hand him the reins my job is done.”
So don’t be surprised to see Marketplace driven neutrally off the gate before Ferguson decides whether to head forward or drive him with a sit.
Had key rivals Rubira, who was excellent last start, drawn inside Marketplace the favourite would be far more vulnerable and maybe if he gets across him from his wide draw at the start he will test him.
But there is something a bit special about Marketplace, even if it isn’t on full beam tonight.
The question is, at $1.25 to you want to join in for the ride?
Three-year-old pacing filly Beside Me is far better placed to show her absolute best on her northern debut in the Caduceus Club Ladyship Stakes even from her second line draw.
She is race hard after thrashing older pacers at Addington last start and that could be a crucial advantage tonight as several of her key rivals tonight in Winelight, Youretheonethatiwant and Arafura are fresh up for the new season while others like Without You and Debbie Lincoln also face second line draws.
It is never easy for South Island horses to win fresh up in Group company at Alexandra Park but Beside Me, with her long stride and coltish physique, looks the perfect filly to pull it off.
Bet N Win $1.50 favourite to win Fred Shaw
By Michael Guerin
Ben Hope says tonight’s $100,000 Fred Shaw NZ Trotting Champs at Addington is no time to get heroic with Muscle Mountain.
So expect the giant trotter to be driven cold in the Group 1 after key rival Bet N Win gained the tactical advantage in the draw.
The pair dominate betting in the 2600m mobile but Bet N Win and has drawn six while Muscle Mountain starts from two on the second line, following out stablemate Midnight Dash.
In-form One Over All starts from barrier 7 and most punters will be thinking Bet N Win should work forward and either want to stay in front or, more likely, take a trail on One Over All.
That doesn’t leave Hope, driving Muscle Mountain for parents Greg and Nina, many options.
“It looks a good race to drive him for speed,” says Hope.
“We follow out the stablemate who is a good beginner so I think we will get a good run through but the other two favourites should go forward and get in front of us.
“We could go sit parked but I think at this stage of his career we can’t do that all the time so I’d love to drive him for one run at them.
“If One Over All puts some speed into the race we can still win and while this is a Group 1 the really big race is the TAB Trot in three weeks.
“So we are out there to win but it won’t be easy.”
If Bet N Win leads or trails he should live up to his $1.50 price as he has raw speed and the ability to follow a good tempo. This looks his race to lose.
While One Over All’s trainer-driver Gavin Smith’s tactics will be crucial in the Group 1 trot they could also determine the outcome of the Hector’s Premium Gin Free-For-All, the pacing feature of the night.
Smith will drive Rakero Rocket for trainer Tom Bamford as the pair start their road to the $1million Race by Betcha at Cambridge on April 4.
Rakero Rocket is the best horse in the race but hasn’t since winning at Nelson on January 12 but has trialled twice.
In the last of those he paced a 55.5 second last 800m to suggest he is forward enough to win but whether Smith wants to charge forward early and test that fitness three weeks out from the biggest race of his career will be telling.
