Swedish trotter Daryl Boko could make his first public outing in New Zealand as soon as next week.
West Melton harness racing trainer Tim Butt said the six-year-old Majestic Son trotter has continued to thrive in the last few weeks.
Daryl Boko is on track for cup week but is still no certainty and Butt said while it would be great to see him racing in the big time so soon, the winner of nine races from 28 starts would not be rushed if he was not ready.
"We'll just play if by ear and give him a couple of quiet trials and see how it goes," Butt said.
"He'll tell us when he's ready, there's still a bit of fine tuning to go yet but the main things is to go to the trials and work out where we are and what we need to change."
If Daryl Boko is ready to go for cup week, Butt said he would be leaning towards racing on only one of the two days.
"I'm probably more inclined to go for the Dominion (Handicap) because it's a prestigious race, it's the bigger stake and I think he is a pretty good little stayer.
"Generally the French and Swedish trotters are pretty good stayers because they are used to going quick the whole way, the run each half in a minute they don't loiter around, that's just their style of racing," Butt said.
In the northern hemisphere Daryl Boko has won over a mile right through to 3100m.
Daryl Boko arrived in New Zealand in early August and went straight into work at Butt's Premier Stables after coming out of quarantine.
Butt said because the seasons are back to front for Daryl Boko, and it's been a strong relatively cold spring, he has started to develop his winter coat but overall he had acclimatised well.
Daryl Boko's last race day start in Sweden was on July 2.
Butt has experience with bringing in trotters from the Northern Hemisphere and that was paying dividends with the preparation of Daryl Boko.
Scandinavian trotter Peak looked to be the future of Butt's already lengthy trotting legacy when he won his first two starts in the 2013 Group III Ashburton Trotters Flying Mile and the Group I NZ Trotting Free-For-All but picked up a suspensory ligament injury in the Dominion Handicap three days later that ended his racing carer.
Peak began a successful stud carer but Butt and many of Peak's syndicate went looking for a replacement and found Daryl Boko.
If Butt can bring out Daryl Boko's best form, it would be good enough to challenge the current crop of top liners.
Meanwhile, Stent, Master Lavros, Habibti and Kincaslough have all been nominated to return to Addington this week for the Group III Canterbury Park Trotting Cup on Friday.
Sheemon, who did not race last week and Alley Way, who has not raced since May, are also in the nominations.
Harness jewels winner King Denny will trial at Addington on Tuesday.
The Group II Canterbury Classic looks likely to be the strongest pacing field this season, with Smolda resuming to take on Christen Me plus Brilliant Strike, Te Kawau and Ideal Success in the nominations to join the crop that have already contested the Maurice Holmes Vase and Avon City Ford Cup.
Mat Kermeen
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