Triple Trio will boost Thames Cup meeting
Winter harness racing at Alexandra Park is set to get an unexpected boost next week with the code’s secondever Triple Trio.
The initial harness Triple Trio was held at the Jewels meeting at Cambridge 12 days ago and didn’t get past the second leg with any live units after hot favourite Follow The Stars was knocked out of the race.
That left TAB bosses scratching their heads as to where to jackpot the money to as they hadn’t considered the chance it wouldn’t be struck.
“Being a Jewels meeting with some pretty hot favourites we hadn’t considered what to do if it didn’t go off,” said the TAB’s Michael Dore yester- day. “But we are confident next Friday’s meeting is the ideal one.”
The meeting is not only the sole New Zealand harness meeting that night so punters won’t have to divide their attention between Alexandra Park and Addington, but with the All Blacks playing the next night there is no Super Rugby, the absence of which always provides a boost for Friday night betting pools.
“And for a mid-winter meeting it looks a really good one, with the Thames Cup on,” said Dore.
The fixture will have the $100,000 guaranteed Triple Trio, a $50,000 guaranteed quaddie and a Pick6, which could see the Triple Trio run on three of the middle races to avoid clashing with the quaddie.
Those hoping for small fields to tackle might be disappointed, with numbers in the north stabilising, especially for lower-grade meetings.
Tomorrow night’s Alexandra Park meeting has attracted 11 races, while the Cambridge meeting on Sunday has drawn 10 including several capacity fields, a far healthier situation than usual when the two venues clash.
Meanwhile, one of New Zealand’s best young trotters has changed from one training legend to another in an attempt to regain group one winning form.
Last season’s Harness Jewels winner One Over Da Moon has been luckless in the 3-year-old trot classics this season, hitting the latest low on his form rollercoaster when he galloped wildly at the Jewels.
So he has been sent from Canterbury trainer Paul Nairn to champion Australian horseman Chris Lang to prepare for the group ones in Victoria over the winter.
He will have his first start in Lang’s colours in the Holmfield at Melton tomorrow night before the Victoria Derby and the Breeders Crown.
“I was happy for him to go to Chris because he is a great trainer and I didn’t want to be away for that long with one horse,” said Nairn.
“I don’t think there is anything physically wrong with him but he has been getting too stirred up so hopefully he will get a chance to settle in some races over there.” The wild weather that hit Auckland overnight forced the cancellation of the Avondale races yesterday. High winds and heavy rain caused extensive damage to the stabling area and part of the roof of the main stable block was torn off, along with fallen trees and extensive debris. Several of the advertising hoardings had also blown over, as well as a part of the running rail with debris across the track, including a fallen tree in the back straight.