By Michael Guerin
Tony Herlihy knows this is Cup is different.
Harness racing’s Mr 3000 may have been at the top of his profession for nearly 30 years but even after a wonderful late-started training career, when Herlihy’s name is mentioned your first thought is always of him as a champion driver.
That could change after next Tuesday’s $750,000 New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington.
Herlihy has a serious chance of training and driving the winner with Ohoka Punter, who has secured something close to a perfect barrier draw at four. With his standing start manners Herlihy may now get the opportunity to be master of his own destiny, able to take up a handy position and if needed a trail behind hard running favourites Smolda and Arden Rooney.
So Herlihy the master driver, who has won the NZ Cup three times in the sulky, now has his shot at training the winner of our greatest race.
“It really would be something special, it would be awesome,” he said before partnering Ohoka Punter in last night’s Cup trial at Addington.
“Driving Cups winner is an amazing thrill but to have a real chance with a horse I train myself is different all together.
“Especially this horse because he has had to overcome leg issues along the way, although they seem fine at the moment.
“He is great in himself, seems sound and it is a case of so far so good, with the draw helpful.”
Herlihy admits the presence of stayers like Arden Rooney and Smolda on the front line and in positions to be prominent early suits Ohoka Punter.
“Our best chance is if they go hard and with horses like that in there I think they will.”
The Cup draw wasn’t Herlihy’s only boost yesterday, with his stable trotting star One Over Da Moon securing barrier one in the $80,000 NZ Trotting Free-For-All, which pre-nominations favourite Stent will miss in favour of the Dominion Handicap three days later.
So while New Zealand Cup day is always the biggest in harness racing, for Herlihy it could be the pinnacle of his storied career, the day he added top trainer to his driving superstar label.
Smolda drawing barrier five in the Cup almost guarantees he will start favourite on Tuesday, especially with second favourite Sky Major drawing the second line, which isn’t a disaster for the latter but will definitely see him drift in the markets.
Arden Rooney’s brutal Kaikoura Cup win coupled with his front line draw makes him the key player next Tuesday and he could even close into second favouritism.
The shock of the Cup is last season’s runner-up Franco Nelson accepting, even though he hasn’t raced since January 9, having been troubled by a myriad of issues and changing stables from Robert Dunn to Michael House.
He won at the trials on Tuesday but out hardest 3200m contest without a race in 10 months looks a dreadful choice.
The day’s other features see Monbet (barrier 2) in with a great chance of beating One Over Da Moon in the trot but the expected Purdon-Rasmussen domination of the $170,000 Sires’ Stakes Final doesn’t look quite so straight forward after the draws.
Favourite Lazarus has drawn two on the second line and while he follows out a fast beginner in Franco Christiano, the latter is a noted leader so it won’t be a case of Lazarus rolling to the front and cruising away.
The Purdon-Rasmussen stable have five reps in the race and all the others have tricky draws.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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