By Michael Guerin
New Zealand Cup week may have been exactly the reset Krug needed as he prepares for his four-year-old season.
That is the opinion of co-trainer Cran Dalgety after our best three-year-old returned to the public arena with a win at the Ashburton trials on Tuesday.
And that has set him up nicely for a tilt at the Franklin Cup at Alexandra Park on December 31 and the Sydney campaign that comes after that.
Krug was an easy winner of the junior free-for-all on Cup Day before a huge third in the NZ Free-For-All on Show Day when he could have broken 1:50 for his last mile had he been against the marker pegs when chasing South Coast Arden and Self Assured.
Krug easily beat another of our most exciting horses in Akuta in the main 2400m pace on Tuesday, recording 3:2.2, his last 800m in 55.9 seconds and 27.4 for the quarter, hardly staggering times but he beat the runner-up by two and a half lengths.
“He has gone to the next level I believe,” said Dalgety.
“That hard racing he had at Cup week is exactly what he needed and he had a few days off and now he is ready to be a man.
“So we are all go for Alexandra Park on New Year’s Eve at this stage.”
That sets up the chance for Jewels revenge over B D Joe, who to the surprise of many, held off Krug at the Jewels after the latter had the drop on him. B D Joe races in a small but select Thames Cup on Friday night.
Once through the Franklin Cup, Krug will head to Sydney and be aimed at the Chariots of Fire on February 19.
“We will get him to Sydney and work backwards from the Chariots Of Fire, which has two lead up races so we will have to contest one of those.”
That will raise the question of drivers as Blair Orange usually partners Krug and will on New Years Eve but with even Kiwis returning home from Australia having to home isolate for seven days it is basically impossible for locals drivers to criss-cross the Tasman for a series of drives.
So Dalgety faces either securing a driver willing to stay with Krug for at least two weeks, maybe more if he gets invited to the Miracle Mile, or using a local driver.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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