The job of unseating Australasia’s greatest harness racing pacer, Lazarus, only became more daunting with tonight’s $500,000 Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup barrier draw, part of the Caduceus Club’s function at the MCG.
Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen’s Inter Dominion winner drew barrier three, a front row draw for Saturday night’s Group 1 feature that will likely enable Purdon to dictate the pace, having drawn outside reigning champion Bling It On and pole marker Tiger Tara.
Kevin Pizzuto, trainer of Tiger Tara, was quick to assert that the New South Wales front runner had “the speed to hold anyone out early”.
“This race is 2700m, that suits him,” Pizzuto said. “His run in the NZ Cup was enormous. He’s strong and he got out-sprinted in the Inter Dominion, but that’s not the case this time. We’re going to try and out-stay them from that draw.”
Tiger Tara was a $7.50 chance with TAB.com.au post-barrier draw, a price shared by Lennytheshark, whose gate eight draw means his hopes will largely be pinned to the pole marker, according to trainer David Aiken.
“We will be following out a horse like Tiger Tara, who held the lead in an Inter Dominion and if he holds the lead in this race we get a chance in the sprint lane,” Aiken said.
Lennytheshark followed a fast-finishing second-placing in the PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup with victory in Saturday night’s DNR Logistics Casey Classic, clearing out by 8.5m, and Aiken said he was “really happy with where he’s at”.
“The distance suits him, he’s a true stayer and it’s going to be a truly run race and a true test of stamina.”
Fellow Victorians San Carlo ($17 pre-draw with TAB.com.au out to $61) and Shadow Sax ($21 out to $81) were loveless after drawing gates five and 11 respectively, while West Australian hope Soho Tribeca eased from $12 to $26.
The odds movement followed Soho Tribeca drawing gate 13, far from ideal for trainer Michael Stanley, with whom the WA Cup winner is stationed during his Victorian tilt.
“I’m used to gate 13,” Stanley said. “You have to go into a race with hope that something can play out in the race and that that will give you a great chance.
“This horse is really good. He has been here a couple of weeks and settled in really well, having been over before when he came for the Sires. All the horses are there for a reason. All are great horses in their own right.”
It’s a statement that leads us to the two front runners, the All Stars’ Lazarus and Heaven Rocks.
Lazarus’ price shortened from $1.70 to $1.40 following the draw and then punters whacked it into $1.30 before it corrected to $1.35.
Certainly Purdon gave no reason to dent that confidence, providing reassurance that concerns over Lazarus’ hoof soreness, which saw him withdraw from the WA Cup, had been overcome.
“We were lucky we could swim him and that kept up his fitness and within about three days he was 100 per cent,” Purdon said. “He seems very well. As good as he was in Perth.
“I’m expecting a great run from him again. I’ve always said he’s a champion. The harder style of racing just seems to improve him.”
And yet, according to TAB.com.au, the pacer most likely to unseat the horse that Purdon describes as the greatest he’s trained also share the All Stars’ silks.
“For sheer ability, (Heaven Rocks) is right up there,” Purdon said. “He can train with Lazarus and can put two or three lengths on him in a blink of an eye.”
But, he comes with a but: his poor behaviour.
“I can remember when he was a late two-year-old Nat (Rasmussen) saying we should finish with this horse – he’s a nightmare,” Purdon said. “The days he wants to take over you are a passenger.”
The many questions will be answered from 9.02pm on Saturday night at Tabcorp Park Melton.
Trots Media – Michael Howard
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The Grand Circuit classic field is spearheaded by modern-day freaks Lazarus and Lennytheshark, but includes a who's who of fast-class stars from throughout Australasia.
The Hunter Cup starters (in alphabetical order) are:
AMERETTO
6yo Bay Mare
By Million Dollar Cam out of Eyes Of Courage
Trainer: Kerryn Manning
Driver: Kerryn Manning
Starts: 61
Wins: 25
Placings: 18
Prizemoney: $465,919
Brilliantly talented mare Ameretto had always shown promise but last season she took her career to a whole new level under the tutelage of Great Western’s Kerryn Manning.
Ameretto won six straight races (five at Group level) during July and August before a late-closing second to Lennytheshark in the Group 1 Allied Express Victoria Cup.
That effort cemented her standing among the Australian free-for-all elite, on that occasion finishing ahead of Tiger Tara, Yayas Hot Spot and San Carlo.
BLING IT ON
7yo Bay/Brown Gelding
By American Ideal out of Alldatglittersisgold
Trainer: Craig Cross
Driver: Luke McCarthy
Starts: 83
Wins: 45
Placings: 20
Prizemoney: $1,647,956
Reigning Del-Re National A.G. Hunter champion Bling It On returns to the big stage in a bid to become the first horse since mighty mare Blossom Lady in 1994-95 to go back-to-back in the great race.
If he was able to achieve that rare feat, Bling It On’s story would be even more astonishing given the seven-year-old has had to overcome a serious injury that threatened to completely curtail his career.
His comeback tale has already been triumphant, winning three straight races over the flying mile at Menangle late last year. Then last week, he looked strong behind Lennytheshark in the DNR Logistics Casey Classic suggesting it is ‘game on’ from the Bling camp ahead of the big dance.
HEAVEN ROCKS
5yo Bay Gelding
By Rock N Roll Heaven out of Mendelico
Trainer: Mark Purdon
Driver: Natalie Rasmussen
Starts: 25
Wins: 12
Placings: 3
Prizemoney: $419,818
Let’s look at recent PETstock Ballarat Cup winning form into a Del-Re National A.G. Hunter Cup.
Smolda (2016), Mah Sish (2013), Stunnin Cullen (2011) and Sting Lika Bee (2007) have all achieved the cups double.
And Christen Me (2014), Mr Feelgood (2009), Blacks A Fake (2008), About To Rock (2006) and Mont Denver Gold (2003) all placed in the big dance at Bray before capturing Hunter Cup success.
So it bodes well for New Zealander Heaven Rocks, who held off Lennytheshark a fortnight ago to win the Ballarat Cup. And it doesn’t hurt this fella’s chances to be a member of the mighty Mark Purdon camp.
LAZARUS
5yo Bay Horse
By Bettors Delight out of Bethany
Trainer: Mark Purdon
Driver: Mark Purdon
Starts: 42
Wins: 34
Placings: 8
Prizemoney: $3,378,438
The undisputed king of kings in the sport at the moment is Lazarus. The Kiwi superstar thrilled fans on his way to an electric win in the Inter Dominion Grand Final in December. He also captured back-to-back New Zealand Trotting Cup wins at Addington in November last year – both by incredible margins.
Trained by Mark Purdon, the champion five-year-old can push his prizemoney towards $4million with victory on Saturday night and he’ll likely be odds-on to do so.
At his very best he is a mighty sight to behold and, given the entrance fee is zilch, you’re never going to get better value in any sport than to turn up on Saturday to see this fella in action. Win, lose or draw he’s already one of the all-time greats. And at just five years old, he likely has much still to achieve.
LENNYTHESHARK
8yo Bay Horse
By Four Starzzz Shark out of Botswana
Trainer: David Aiken
Driver: Chris Alford
Starts: 76
Wins: 39
Placings: 30
Prizemoney: $2,937,585
Whereas the Kiwis have Lazarus, the majority of Victorian hearts are with Lenny.
It’s somewhat surprising to remember that Lennytheshark has not won a Del-Re National A.G. Hunter Cup.
Twice he’s won the Allied Express Victoria Cup; he’s won a Miracle Mile, an Inter Dominion Grand Final, an Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series Final, the New South Wales Derby and a host of other feature races.
His popularity is like no other and he has returned from his Western Australian Inter Dominion campaign in great nick.
His fast-finishing second in the Ballarat Cup was exceptional when you consider he was reportedly well in need of the run. Of course he’s a serious player (and the Ballarat Cup into Hunter Cup form mentioned earlier in this article only enhances his claims!)
MESSINI
7yo Bay Horse
By Art Major out of Mesmerizing
Trainer: Brent Lilley
Driver: Tony Herlihy
Starts: 88
Wins: 25
Placings: 26
Prizemoney: $672,961
Never has there been a question on Messini’s class or consistency as a racehorse. Right through his juvenile days he was a prolific winner and he’s always shown plenty in the fast-class, open-aged kingdom.
But in recent times it feels like the Brent Lilley-trained ‘Mr Consistent’ has taken things up a notch. His PETstock Bendigo Cup win was his biggest win since taking out the Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series Final at four, and he backed that up with a huge runner-up effort to Shadow Sax in the Group 1 South Australia Pacing Cup.
A genuine money-spinner for his connections, Messini will line up in his third Del-Re National A.G. Hunter Cup this Saturday and will be hoping to improve on placings of 10th in 2016 and 11th last year. His form says he can.
MISTER WICKHAM (1st EMERGENCY)
6yo Brown/Black Horse
By Julius Caesar out of Bronte Jones
Trainer: Lee Evison
Driver: TBA
Starts: 46
Wins: 18
Placings: 14
Prizemoney: $212,255
Currently racing at the top of his game, Mister Wickham has secured the emergency spot in this year’s Del-Re National A.G. Hunter Cup.
A recent fast-finishing fourth in the PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup showed Mister Wickham’s ability to compete with the best of the best. He’s also enjoyed several metro successes at Tabcorp Park Melton and a Warragul Cup victory in April last year.
While he will be big odds should he gain a start in the big one on Saturday night, one thing’s for sure – this fella never runs a bad race.
MOONROCK
5yo Brown Horse
By Rocknroll Hanover out of Dancingonmoonlight
Trainer: Sonya Smith
Driver: Anthony Butt
Starts: 36
Wins: 12
Placings: 10
Prizemoney: $181,222
Reinsman Anthony Butt has driven seven Del-Re National A.G. Hunter Cup winners. It began with Blossom Lady, who went back-to-back in 1994-95, was followed by Mister D G in 2004, and then between 2009 and 2013 he won four out of five with Mr Feelgood in 2009, Stunin Cullen in 2011, Choise Achiever in 2012 and Mah Sish in 2013.
This year Butt partners up with trainer Sonya Smith and a rising talent in Moonrock, who blitzed the fast-class rivals in the Rocky Baker FFA recently – and the second placed Carlas Pixel franked that form with a slashing run in the Alabar Ladyship Cup last weekend.
SAN CARLO
7yo Bay Gelding
By Mach Three out of Bridge Player
Trainer: Stephen O’Donoghue
Driver: Rebecca Bartley
Starts: 29
Wins: 21
Placings: 4
Prizemoney: $214,048
Saturday night is the next step towards what many in the San Carlo corner believe is inevitable – that he will emerge as one of the biggest players in the sport before too long.
We’ve seen him rip through the classes and his 21-out-of-29 strike rate is one of the best in the game already.
A breakout moment in the story of San Carlo occurred at Gloucester Park on December 1 last year when he held off guns Soho Tribeca and Lennytheshark among others to win the eighth heat of the Inter Dominion.
The class box was ticked, emphatically.
Driver Bec Bartley, who knows San Carlo better than anyone, was thrilled with his third behind Lennytheshark and Bling It On last weekend in the Casey Classic. It was just the tune-up he needed after missing the Shepparton Cup run due to circumstances out of his control.
SHADOW SAX
5yo Brown Gelding
By Shadow Play out of Miss Saxony
Trainer: Emma Stewart
Driver: Gavin Lang
Starts: 26
Wins: 17
Placings: 7
Prizemoney: $382,480
Another five-year-old whose emergence has been unsurprising but emphatic is Shadow Sax.
Hailing from the all-conquering Emma Stewart stable, Shadow Sax is a 17-time winner from 26 starts and his prizemoney is closing in on $400k.
A seven-race win streak was snapped in the recent PETstock Ballarat Pacing Cup, but he did place – and as I’ve referenced above, that’s valuable form according to history.
Shadow Sax has in recent times claimed the South Australia Pacing Cup (history says this is not such a good guide, with the last horse to win the double being Gammalite in 1982), the Flying Brick Cider Geelong Pacing Cup, the Westside Stawell Cup and the Schweppes 4YO & 5YO Championship.
Then there’s the Gavin Lang factor. A genius in the sulky, it’s hard to fathom the superstar reinsman is yet to taste Del-Re National A.G. Hunter Cup success. It’s one of the very few Australian features to elude the Ice Man, but you get the feeling it’s just a matter of time.
SOHO TRIBECA
5yo Bay Horse
By American Ideal out of Pixel Perfect
Trainer: Michael Stanley
Driver: Greg Sugars
Starts: 50
Wins: 19
Placings: 21
Prizemoney: $882,609
The West Australian warrior returned to the winner’s list in emphatic fashion last time out at Gloucester Park, thoroughly dominating his opposition in the rich $450,000 WA Pacing Cup.
A genuine topliner, Soho Tribeca proved his Grand Circuit worth through the Inter Dominion series, making it to the Grand Final by winning two Inters heats – and going on to run sixth in the big one, less than 10m astern of the mighty Lazarus.
Victorians saw firsthand the quality of Soho Tribeca as a four-year-old when he won the Empire Stallions Vicbred Super Series 4YO Final just last year, defeating Hunter Cup opponent Moonrock (third) in the process.
Soho Tribeca has won the Golden Nugget in his home state and won Semi-Finals in the Vicbred and Breeders Crown series at age three. He’s actually been super consistent at top-class his entire career.
Soho Tribeca is now under the tutelage of astute Burrumbeet horseman Mick Stanley and will be driven by the Candyman Greg Sugars on Saturday night.
TIGER TARA
7yo Bay Horse
By Bettors Delight out of Tara Gold
Trainer: Kevin Pizzuto
Driver: Todd McCarthy
Starts: 81
Wins: 26
Placings: 30
Prizemoney: $1,265,410
Tiger Tara is not one to shirk a fight. Last Sunday in the Group 3 Goulburn Pacing Cup, the Kevin Pizzuto-trained entire parked outside of another free-for-all star in Franco Nelson and put him to the sword, before holding off another firing gun – and a Hunter Cup contender – in Yayas Hot Spot up the straight.
And the scary declaration from his trainer was that Tiger Tara was “in need of the run” last weekend and will improve immensely into the Del-Re National A.G. Hunter Cup.
Just a couple of months ago Tiger Tara was contesting the Perth Inter Dominion series where he finished third behind Lazarus and Chicago Bull in the $1.1million Grand Final.
Last season, the Tiger also placed in the Allied Express Victoria Cup (third) and the Blacks A Fake at Albion Park (third).
But maybe his most impressive performance was his third in the Group 1 New Zealand Trotting Cup behind Lazarus when inside the 800m he galloped after sitting the chair and lost four lengths.
In the stretch he lifted off the canvas and savaged the line to be in the money.
There’s no question he’s got the class to be a leading contender on Saturday night, but what’s even more certain is this Tiger’s tenacity. He has it in spades.
Yayas Hot Spot
7yo Bay Gelding
By Jeremes Jet out of Star Of Heaven
Trainer: Shane and Lauren Tritton
Driver: Jack Trainor
Starts: 81
Wins: 23
Placings: 28
Prizemoney: $439,892
Yayas Hot Spot will be out to go one better on last year’s Del-Re National Hunter Cup on Saturday night.
Twelve months ago he ran second to fellow Sydneysider Bling It On and the Shane and Lauren Tritton-trained gelding is back at Vic HQ where he has never finished outside of fourth.
And he’s contested some serious races.
In his seven Victorian starts Yayas Hot Spot has (in chronological order) run second in a Derby heat in 2014 behind Bling It On (rivals much?), third in the Derby Final of 2014, third in the 4YO Bonanza of 2015 behind Yankee Rockstar and Hectorjayjay (defeating Messini which ran fourth), first in the Our Maestro Free-for-All in 2016, second in the Del-Re National Hunter Cup of 2017, fourth in the Smoken Up Sprint of 2017 and fourth in the 2017 Allied Express Victoria Cup.
With gate speed to burn, if Yayas Hot Spot drew to find the pegs, given his record one might say you’d be bold to leave him out of your first four calculations at the very least.
Tune into RSN tomorrow morning (Wednesday) for Racing Pulse live from the TAB.com.au Summer of Glory Del-Re National Breakfast of Champions from Tabcorp Park. The show kicks off at 8.30am and will be hosted by Michael Felgate, Jason Bonnington and Adam Hamilton, who will be joined by many trots stars through until 10am.
Trots Media – Cody Winnell