NZ Cup day can’t come soon enough

Phil Kennard might be sick of his bridesmaid tag but knowing 2016 is his best chance to hold the bouquet is going to make for an agonising wait.

Winners of multiple Group I races as owners, Kennard and his wife Glenys have gone as close as you can get without ever managing to get their hands on the New Zealand Trotting Cup.

But in 15 days that could change with Lazarus – a dominant winner of the Group II Ashburton Trust Flying Stakes on Monday – now a $1.90 favourite for New Zealand harness racing’s biggest prize.

The Kennards, who race the Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen-trained Lazarus with Trevor Casey and Kevin Riseley, have placed in the Cup with Fly Like An Eagle, Smolda and Highview Tommy (twice). In three starts against the big bangers, the four-year-old Lazarus has finished third in the New Brighton Cup before winning the Canterbury Classic and at Ashburton, all against his main cup rivals.

‘‘The cup is everyone’s dream it’s the race everyone wants to win and the race everyone remembers,’’ he said.

Speaking shortly after Lazarus’ dominant win, Kennard was obviously able to list how many days to the Cup but his estimation of the hours and minutes was also close to spot on.

Kennard said the ownership team are lucky to be involved with a ‘‘freakishly good horse’’ and get an armchair ride as the All Stars team do all the work.

But if Lazarus can win the $750,000 Cup, the connections will have earned their share of the stake given the stress they will go through counting down to the second Tuesday in November.

‘‘Everytime he races we are like cats on a hot tin roof,’’ he said.

Lazarus was safely away from the tapes, albeit slowly, but worked around the small field of six and cruised to victory.

He paced the 2400m in 2:57.4 with a mile rate of 1:58.9 to beat Have Faith In Me by three quarters of a length, with a further one and a half lengths back to Field Marshal. Have Faith In Me did not win but that he stepped away off the unruly mark was a victory in itself looking ahead to the Cup.

The Miracle Mile winner paced erratically in the last 50m but Lazarus looked to have him covered regardless.

Monday’s meeting was an All Stars benefit with six wins despite only having runners in seven of the 10 races. Dream About Me, Vincent, Mr Mojito, You Gotta Have Faith and Superfecta joined Lazarus in the winners circle.

Dream About Me could not have been more impressive when resuming with a three quarters of a length win in the c5-open class pace despite doing plenty of work in the running from her 30m handicap.

She paced the 2400m in 2:56.6 with a mile rate of 1:58.4. The prospects of her running in the junior-free-for-all on Cup day before stepping up with the big boys in the Group I Free-for-all on Show Day now seem increasingly likely.

Meanwhile, Monbet kicked off his season the same way he finished the last. The reigning Horse of the Year picked up his sixth consecutive win when he was too good in the Trotters Flying Mile.

Monbet beat Harriet Of Mot by one and a quarter lengths with the same margin back to Marcoola.