As reported by Stuff website, even as he took a tipple out of the Mitre 10 Cup, Terry Williamson was already daring to dream about his next cup campaign.
Following Canterbury's 43-27 win over Tasman on Saturday night, the red and blacks manager could not help himself from glancing across the carpark to Addington Raceway where he will fulfil a lifelong ambition on November 8.
With the rugby goals ticked off and the beer drunk, Williamson can focus on racing.
A passionate owner and follower of harness racing, Williamson is part of the ownership team that races emerging pacing talent and New Zealand Trotting Cup nominee Seel The Deal.
"I've got the Ranfurly Shield and the Mitre 10 Cup now we're looking for the New Zealand (Trotting) Cup," Williamson quipped.
Ranked at number nine in the order of entry for the biggest event on the New Zealand harness racing calendar, Seel The Deal only has to come through Monday's Kaikoura Cup safely to take his spot.
With the Ranfurly Shield and national provincial championship locked away, Williamson has had a dream first year in his role as Canterbury manager but that is not stopping his visions of more success.
A $51 outsider to win the Cup, confidence is high in the Seel the Deal camp that he has the ability to run in the top half dozen.
"It's bloody exciting just to have a runner in the Cup.
"We've been trying for thirty years and now we've finally got one that is not only capable of being there but maybe running in the top five," Williamson said.
The Greg and Nina Hope-trained pacer should be improved on his last start second behind Smolda in the Methven Cup.
Methven was his first run back from a minor wind operation.
"Considering he had four weeks off and a wind operation it was an exceptional run," Williamson said.
As long as Seel The Deal can live up to his potential at Kaikoura, his meteoric rise could become one of the best underdog stories heading into cup week.
This time last year he had only had two career starts.
"What he's doing is phenomenal," Williamson said.
"Twelve months ago he wasn't even running straight."
In just his 20th start, the lightly raced pacer will contest the Group II Kaikoura Cup – his final race before the big dance at Addington.
"We always thought he had the ability to do something like this but it's come a year earlier than we thought," Williamson said.
The six-year-old son of American Ideal out of Seel Their Fate has chalked up eight wins, three seconds and a third.
Unfortunately for Williamson and his fellow owners Graham and Theresa Snook and Grant McStay, they have struck one of the strongest Kaikoura Cup fields in recent memory and a second row draw that negates his speedy starts.
But he does follow out race favourite Smoldaā and should improve again off the run heading towards Addington.
McStay trained Seel The Deal for his first 15 starts and Williamson said the Hopes are using their tried and tested skills at the top level to put the icing on a well prepared cake.
Williamson compared McStay to legendary athletics coach Arthur Lydiard.
"Grant makes sure they do the miles.
"He takes his time and all his horses are trained to run two miles."
Smolda is a $1.90 favourite for the Kaikoura Cup ahead of stablemate Titan Banner ($5.20) and Australian raider Messini ($6.50) with Seel The Deal a $28 chance.
New Zealand Trotting Cup hopefuls Lewy Risk and Moonrock will look to force their way into the field via the Listed PGG Wrightson Yearling Sales Aged Pace at Kaikoura.
With Monbetā not in Kaikoura, an even field will assemble for the Group III South Bay Trotters Cup (2400m).
Mat Kermeen
Click here for the story at Stuff website