By Michael Guerin
The NZB Airfreight Ashburton Flying Stakes is usually the battle for IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup favouritism.
That is looking increasingly unlikely for this Monday’s event at Ashburton now that it seems certain Australian superstar Leap To Fame is coming to the Cup. He is currently a $1.75 favourite to take out the big race on Tuesday, November 12.
But the $60,000 Group 2 will definitely sort out the local pecking order.
The two big names of New Zealand pacing Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming meet for the first time this campaign in the 2400m standing start and with both securing front line draws their manners early could be crucial.
Don’t Stop Dreaming will start from barrier 3 in the Flying Stakes while Merlin will begin from barrier 8, probably not a bad thing to be a bit wider so early in his standing start career and having never been on the front line before.
The field also contains the next best Kiwi in the Cup market in Republican Party (10) so will go a long way to establishing the local favourites behind Leap To Fame, who races at Menangle on Saturday.
The What The Hill Flying Trot has also drawn the biggest local names in Bet N Win (1), Oscar Bonavena (6) and Muscle Mountain (7) over the mobile 1700m, with the two older stars better suited that when under handicap conditions last start but still possibly having to come from behind the young star.
On a stunning day the meeting also hosts the $60,000 Ladies Sprint featuring round two of Princess Meritaten (7) versus Mantra Blue (1 on second line) and the $40,000 Neumanns’s Hambletonian Trot in which the two favourites Father Time (9) and Empire City (3 on second line) have difficult draws.
Add in the Garrard’s Sires’ Stakes $50,000 Sophomore Classic for the three-year-old male pacers, a Nevele R heat for the three-year-old girls and a stacked Dunstan Horse Feeds Sires Stakes heat for the juvenile fillies headlined by Youretheonethatiwant (R5, No.14) and the meeting serves as a wonderful next step towards Cup week.
To see the fields on Monday click here
To see the early market for the Ashburton Flying Stakes click here
