Secondline draw dents Tiger Tara’s NZ Cup hopes
TIGER Tara’s incredible run to the New Zealand Trotting Cup hit some serious turbulence yesterday, causing the Aussie star to almost double in price for next week’s race.
Tiger Tara has already placed in two New Zealand Cups and a series of events this year seemed to be conspiring to help him finally get to the promised land.
The sale of nemesis Lazarus to the United States came after budding champion Vincent was retired because of injury, then a succession of pacing’s big names were sidelined one by one — Lennytheshark, My Field Mar shal, Jilliby Kung Fu and then finally, and most brutally, Chicago Bull.
That left a hardfit Tiger Tara looking every inch the cup winner, especially after a huge win in the Victoria Cup last month. Until yesterday.
Because the New South Wales iron horse drew the second line for the 3200m cup at Addington next Tuesday, a draw made significantly worse by the fact the four PurdonRasmussen representatives most favoured behind Tiger Tara in the predraw market all drew well on the front line.
And it got worse for trainer Kevin Pizutto.
Tiger Tara follows out Cruz Bromac at the start, a horse Pizzuto used to train and one of the worst standing starters on the front line.
‘‘I didn’t want the second line and I definitely didn’t want to be following out Cruz Bromac, that is for sure,’’ Pizzuto said.
‘‘That is not good at all and it will now be up to Todd [McCarthy, driver] to get some sort of run with him.
‘‘I am happy with the horse. I think he is bigger and stronger than last season but we didn’t need that.’’
Bookmakers agreed, with even the Australian TAB doubling Tiger Tara’s price from $3.50 to $7, with three Purdon Rasmussen trained runners now more favoured.
Dream About Me (barrier 5) and Thefixer (barrier 1) look set to battle for favouritism, while Cruz Bromac has tightened after securing barrier 2, although it may not help him all that much.
Tiger Tara was not the only onetime favourite for a group 1 race on Tuesday to cop a secondline draw, with unbeaten 3yrold Ultimate Sniper to start from 2 on the second line in the $170,000 Sires’ Stakes Final.
But while he only has 1980m to make up that disadvantage he still looks better off than Tiger Tara as he follows out a quick beginner and his last start victory suggested he has lengths on most of his opponents.
He still may have to sit parked for the last 1000m to win but will be oddson to do so.
Northern trotters Speeding Spur (barrier 3) and Lemond (1) were the big winners in the draw for the $100,000 New Zealand Trotting FreeForAll, which disappointingly is being bypassed by many of the trotting stars as they do not want to be flattened before the $300,000 Dominion three days later.
The field for the $800,000 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Trotting Cup at 5.12pm next Tuesday is.—
1. Thefixer
2. Cruz Bromac
3. Eamon Maguire
4. Star Galleria
5. Dream About Me
6. A G’s White Socks
7. Billy Badger
8. Jack’s Legend
9. Captain Dolmio
10. Forgotten Highway
11. Locharburn
12. James Dream (em1)
13. Tiger Tara
14. Le st spend a ni te to get ha
15. Queen Bee Bardon (em3)
16. Zadaka
17. Alta Orlando
18. Baileys Knight (em2) — NZME
CHRISTCHURCH: On the same day the stable landed four of the first five draws in next Tuesday’s $800,000 New Zealand Trotting Cup, two All Stars runners had their final public hitouts in the official Cup Trial at Addington.
And it was Cruz Bromac who sprinted home the best to win the 2600m workout, doing everything right for cotrainer Mark Purdon, who will drive him in the big dance next week.
It was a relatively sedate trial that featured five of the 15 horses slated to contest next week’s timehonoured feature, the others being northerner Jack’s Legend, Forgotten Highway, the winner’s stablemate Eamon Maguire and A G’s White Socks.
Cruz Bromac held comfortably at the line, home in 27.1 ahead of stablemate Spankem, while Jack’s Legend and Forgotten Highway got home well for the next placings.
A G’s White Socks was last, not far from the winner, but of concern for trainers Greg and Nina Hope will be the fact he galloped away from the standing start again.
Half an hour earlier, 4yrold trotter Winterfell, who is still nominated for tomorrow week’s Dominion Handicap, won the feature trotting trial, defeating the pacemaker Pres The Belle and McLovin.
Speeding Spur, the favourite for next week’s two group 1 features, worked home nicely from a rearward position for fifth, along with Lemond.
The latter has drawn the ace in Tuesday’s $100,000 New Zealand Trotting Free For All and is a clear $4.80 second pop behind his northern counterpart ($1.65).
Missing from the Trotting Free For All, but likely to run in the Dominion three days later, are group 1 performers Great Things Happen, Harriet Of Mot, Marcoola and Temporale.