Titan Banner big hope in Hannon Memorial
TOMORROW’S Hannon Memorial is a case of blue and gold, or rather purple and white, against the world.
Otago trainer Graeme Anderson lines up Titan Banner in his familiar purpleandwhite silks in the timehonoured feature.
On class and on form, the race should go to Titan Banner and that is something Anderson puts matteroffactly.
‘‘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’sup effort in last weekend’s New Brighton Cup at Addington behind Have Faith In Me.
Though the horse was defeated, Anderson was pleased with him.
‘‘He has run a solid mile rate and run home [800m] in 55 seconds and been beaten by the best horse in the world [of] a year and ahalf ago. He couldn’t have done much more.’’
Coming up against some of the All Stars stable’s 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 that stage of his campaign quite yet, Titan Banner held his own as Have Faith In Me slung himself out of the oneone to win the race.
Dream About Me set tongues wagging with her supremely tough effort to sit parked and fight on bravely for third.
That set her up for what would have been an intriguing rematch with Titan Banner in the Hannon. But it fell flat when a foot abscess forced Dream About Me’s trainers to scratch her from tomorrow’s race.
Hoof problems have dogged the Auckland Cup winner from as early as her 2yrold racing days, but the good news for her followers is this incident was reported by 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. It leaves Titan Banner on the top of the pile and likely to start a shortpriced favourite.
Anderson has a handy bac kup in New Years Jay who looms as solid place chance.
Her laststart effort would have disappointed some 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 worried.
New Years Jay held fourth just ahead of Buster Brady, who looks a natural improver for tomorrow’s race. Though he took the length of the Addington straight to wind up to full speed after clearing a pocket, he hit the line the best of the unplaced runners.
Seel The Deal gets a prime opportunity to kickstart his New Zealand Cup campaign tomorrow.
The Greg and Nina Hopetrained 7yrold has a perfect record of four wins from four starts freshup from long spells and also trialled impressively at Rangiora last week.
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.