Stylish win polishes up cup credentials
CHRISTCHURCH: Otago’s pride and joy, Eamon Maguire, confirmed his status as a massive winning hope in the New Zealand Cup with a fastsprinting win in the Ashburton Flying Stakes yesterday.
The Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussentrained 5yrold confirmed his openclass future with a passinglane win over stablemate Dream About Me and Alta Orlando.
Eamon Maguire combined two of his biggest strengths — his blistering speed and his brilliant manners — to win the 2400m feature.
He also left his driver, Rasmussen, with a big decision over who to drive in the New Zealand Cup.
Punters wanting to follow her lead will have to wait to find out, as the champion horsewoman has no plans to make the decision just yet.
Right now, she is taking a lighthearted approach to the situation.
‘‘I will wait until the field comes out and put them all in a hat and pluck one out,’’ she quipped. ‘‘It is a tough old decision.’’
The reinswoman has now won the past two cup leadup races with two of her options in Cruz Bromac and Eamon Maguire.
But, one of the cup’s forgotten chances is right at the forefront of her thinking.
‘‘Thefixer seems really good. He came out home and hoppled Saturday and he hoppled really good — he will trial Wednesday.
‘‘Cruz Bromac — I really, really like Cruz, and I really like Eamon, too; he is just a little opportunist.’’
The start of yesterday’s race — considered the most important New Zealand Cup leadup event — was labelled an utter debacle by several of the trainers and drivers of its contenders.
Ultimate Machete flew into a wild gallop after the tapes were released and did not get into a pace for about 150m.
A G’s White Socks galloped away for about 50m and Star Galleria bounded away in a gallop but quickly came down pacing.
Reborn trotting star Marcoola claimed redemption and a national recordequalling victory in the Ashburton Trotters Flying Mile.
The 6yrold produced a flying finish to nail tenacious runnerup Great Things Happen and take the group 3 feature, becoming the third horse to claim the all comers’ national mile record time of 1.54.5.
That time equalled Cyclone U Bolt’s 2013 Harness Jewels winning time and Stent’s 2014 Cambridge Trotters Flying Mile.
And Marcoola did all of that in a race he could not make a mark in last year.
‘‘To be fair, he should have done it last year,’’ owner and driver Clint Ford said.
‘‘He had a perfect trip in the trail last year and he just couldn’t kick in the straight. Today he just come out and went. Great Things Happen still had a few lengths on us at the top of the straight.’’
Ford and his camp are still mulling over whether to send Marcoola around in the New Zealand Trotting FreeForAll.
‘‘At this stage I would say we will definitely nominate him for the FreeForAll, but we will see how we go.’’
Great Things Happen may start at the New Zealand Cup trials but will not defend his New Zealand Trotting FreeForAll title.
The favourite, Harriet Of Mot, made her first mistake of the spring from barrier one in the Flying Mile yesterday.
Winterfell also made a mistake. His driver, Mark Purdon, commented the horse was not quite ready for the rigours of openclass trotting. — NZ Harness News