Titan Banner’s race to lose in the Hannon Memorial

Tomorrow’s Hannon Memorial is a case of purple and white against the world.

Otago trainer Graeme Anderson lines up Titan Banner with his familiar purple and white silks when he tries to stand his ground on his provincial home turf to win the time honoured feature.

On class and on form the race is quite simply Titan Banner’s to lose and that is something Anderson puts matter of factly.

“It looks his race to win and if he can’t win it then he hasn’t got much hope of winning the New Zealand Cup.” The horse has been in good fettle this week after coming through his runner up effort in last weekend’s New Brighton Cup behind Have Faith In Me.

Though defeated Anderson was pleased with his horse’s effort: “He has run a solid mile rate and run home in 55 seconds and been beaten by the best horse in the world a year and a half ago, he couldn’t have done much more.”

But coming up against some of the All Stars’ best, who do extraordinary things on racetracks, usually means other horses need to do even more extraordinary things to beat them.

While he he is not at the stage of his campaign to be doing that quite yet, Titan Banner held his own as Have Faith In Me slingshot himself out of the one- one to win the race.

Dream About Me set tongues wagging after the race with her supremely tough effort to sit parked and fight on bravely for third.

That immediately set her up for what would have been an intriguing rematch with Titan Banner in the Hannon.

That quickly fell flat when a foot abscess forced her trainers to scratch her from tomorrow’s race.

Hoof problems have dogged the Auckland Cup winner’s career from as early as her 2- year- old racing days, but the good news for her followers is this incident was reported from her trainers to be a minor abscess due to recent wet weather.

That may result in only a minor impact on Dream About Me’s New Zealand Cup campaign, but it has turned the Hannon on its head with Titan Banner left on the top of the pile and likely to start a short priced favourite for the race.

Anderson has a handy backup in New Years Jay who looms as a solid place chance.

Her last start effort would have disappointed many when she travelled strongly in the trail behind Titan Banner in the New Brighton Cup but could not match him in the finish.

But, Anderson was not as disappointed given the mare ran up to much of her previous form.

New Years Jay held fourth just ahead of Buster Brady, who looks a natural improver ahead of tomorrow’s race.

Though it took the length of the Addington straight for the wind up to full speed after clearing a pocket he hit the line the best of all of the unplaced runners in the New Brighton race.

Seel The Deal, one of three Hannon horses not to run at Addington last weekend, gets a prime opportunity to kick start his New Zealand Cup campaign tomorrow.

The Greg and Nina Hope trained 7- year- old has a perfect four win from four start fresh up record from long spells.

He has also trialled impressively at Rangiora last week.