It’s Friday night and the two big money Harness Million races will highlight action at Alexandra Park and Addington tonight.
Boom three-year-old Marketplace will start at short odds in the $200,000 NZB Standardbred Harness Million Final for the Colts and Geldings as will Stella Rouge in the $150,000 Fillies’ Final while topliners Republican Party, Don’t Stop Dreaming and Mo’unga are among the top chances in the Group 2 Auckland Co-op Taxis 300-3000 Free For All.
Down south at Addington one of the must see races will be Race 8, the $30,000 Bob Rochford Memorial Seddon Districts Final Trot (8.10pm) where Paul Nairn has two runners, as well as a rare pacer in Race 7.
Stars expected to shine on Friday Night Lights at Alexandra Park
By Michael Guerin
The gloves are set to come off at Alexandra Park tonight.
And that means punters can bet with confidence that the biggest names going into Harness Million night will be the biggest names coming out of it.
The two NZB Standardbred Harness Million races see odds-on favourites in Stella Rouge (R5, No.5) and Marketplace (R6, No.4) with the draws and respect to justify their returns while the City Of Auckland Free-For-All has far more intrigue with two of New Zealand’s best pacers Republican Party (8) and Don’t Stop Dreaming (11) drawn poorly in a field of depth.
But two of the most compelling factors for punters to consider tonight are intent and improved fitness.
Several harness stars have resumed over the last month and been driven conservatively, their trainers and drivers facing a growing conundrum as high level racing is so fast these days few horses are ready to be driven aggressively while fresh up.
They could be, and maybe would even win, but give a horse a headache fresh-up and you often have a lesser horse in the months ahead.
So the conservative approach was taken with both Marketplace and Republican Party last Friday and while both sets of connections stated pre-race they would be looking to drive their stars with one run, they still started favourite.
But with the pipe-openers out of the way tonight punters can expect some more aggression on the big guns tonight.
Marketplace has looked a bit special for the last six months and he will undoubtedly head forward from barrier 4 tonight, with trainer Regan Todd suggesting last Friday’s sit-and-sprint had brought him on both fitness-wise and mentally. His quest has been made all the easier following the midweek scratching of Rubira with a leg injury.
Republican Party could face a more complicated road to the winner’s circle in the Auckland Co-op taxis 300-3000 City Of Auckland Free For All after drawing the outside of the front line and trainer Cran Dalgety says son Carter, who drives the Auckland Cup winner, has two options.
“He can pull back and end up behind all the other big name horses or he can work forward and get in front of them,” says Dalgety.
“I am not saying he has to try to lead but I don’t see the point in pulling back behind the horses you are most worried about.”
Dalgety says Republican Party’s storming late run from last has also tightened him up so he is the horse to beat in a tricky field as you could make a case he is the best pacer in New Zealand right now.
Punters should expect improvement though from Chase A Dream (No.1), who badly needed the run last Friday while Don’t Stop Dreaming will be rock hard fit in his first start for new trainer Hayden and Amanda Cullen but is one of the most difficult horses in New Zealand to predict.
The Cullens also hold a strong hand in the Fillies Harness Million with Winelight (R5, No.1) and Arafura (2) drawn well but Stella Rouge still deserves to be clear favourite.
She jogged her last 400m when beating older horses last Friday and has genuine x-factor and the hind quarters that produce a good horse’s acceleration.
“She has turned into a stunning filly,” says driver Tim Williams.
“She has the looks and the ability to match it and she felt great last week.
“I am happy with barrier 5 because she doesn’t have to lead to win and she is one of the fastest horse I have driven.”
Nairn lines up rare pacer at Addington
By Michael Guerin
New Zealand’s trotting master is looking to add another string to his bow at Addington tonight.
Paul Nairn, the most feared trainer of trotters in the country, will debut his two-year-old pacer Lookin Snazzy in Race 7.
Nairn has trained 425 winners in New Zealand since lining up his very first horse in 1983 and 423 of those wins have been in trotting races.
Even his two career pacing wins both came with a trotter, with Outamyway being dual-gaited and winning two races as a pacer on the West Coast in between winning two Harness Million Trots.
“The first horse I ever started back in 1983 was actually a pacer and I have had a couple since,” says Nairn.
“I had a couple of owners keen to get a pacer and I went to Dancingonmoonlight to look at a yearling last year and I saw this horse in the paddock.
“He was a bit small back then and had been passed in at the sales but I liked him and I rang Bob Butt and he told me it was a good family so we bought him.”
Lookin Snazzy has grown a bit since, not much, but showed he has ability when coming from last in a four-horse field to down subsequent Addington winner Special Occasion on February 5.
“He is a lovely little horse,” says Nairn.
“I wouldn’t mind having a few more pacers if they are like him.”
The son of Bettors Delight is being thrown in the deep end against juveniles from Team Telfer, the Purdon and Steven Reid but Nairn says his job is not much different from taking a baby trotter to the races for the first time.
“I think we are all in the same boat, we all hope we have a nice horse and we will find out.”
Nairn has his more traditional hand in the $30,000 Bob Rochford Memorial Seddon Districts Trot, with Tu Tangata and Masterly facing very different challenges.
Tu Tangata starts on the front line and Nairn suggests he has been luckless lately, although that has also seemed the theme of Tu Tangata’s life.
“If he can get away a bit quicker that will be a big help because he can be a bit sluggish early,” he told HRNZ.
“Masterly has been going good races up against the very best trotters and he ran on well last start without having much luck either.
“It is a big ask off the 30m handicap but only having 11 in the field should help him.”
Earlier in the night Lakelsa returns after her last-start Group 1 success in the NZ Breeders when she takes on the boys in a slippery little 1980m race which could see them run some quick sectionals.