Kaikoura Cup win shortens odds
A $20,000 bet and a new track record mean Lazarus will start as the shortest-priced favourite of modern times in the New Zealand Trotting Cup.
The champion pacer made short work of his opposition in yesterday’s Kaiko¯ ura Cup and it will take a miracle to beat him at Addington in 14 days.
The Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen-trained Lazarus is now an almost unbelievable $1.50 favourite in the futures market for the $800,000 Cup on November 14.
Monday’s $20,000 Cup bet is unlikely to be the last major investment on Lazarus. His price is extreme but Lazarus and extreme seem to go together.
In 2016 he won the Group I Cup by 10 lengths as a four-year-old. Incredibly, given the popularity of the reigning Horse of the Year, Lazarus could start even shorter than $1.50 come Cup day.
The Group II Kaiko¯ ura Cup (2400m) victory was the seventh race win on the trot for the pacing superstar who has now won 30 of his 35 starts.
In the hands of Purdon, Lazarus defeated Titan Banner by a comfortable two lengths with a further two and a half lengths back to the third placed No Doctor Needed.
The Bettor’s Delight entire was less than comfortable around the tight bends at the South Bay Racecourse but he still managed a mile rate of 1:56.8 as he paced the 2400m trip in 2:54.3 with closing sectionals of 54.1 and 26.8.
Lazarus gave favourite punters, who took the $1.13 in the final field market or the $1.10 on the tote, a fleeting moment of concern when he skipped away from the stand but he was quickly back down and pacing. Purdon was forced to sit parked for much of the race outside race leader Titan Banner. Purdon felt Lazarus was likely to have a dress rehearsal at Addington in next week’s Cup trial.