While many of us are still recovering from next Friday’s mega week in Christchurch, the meeting rivals almost anything we saw last week in terms of overall depth in the age group races, with the obvious exception of the open class trotters being missing this time.
IRT New Zealand Cup winner Kingman returns in the $125,000 Christian Cullen Classic and had mobileed the outside of the front line over 2600 metres.
Trainer Luke McCarthy returns from New South Wales to ride him and after his performance last Tuesday he will still start a strong favorite in a field that includes open class regulars Better Knuckle Up, Chase A Dream and We Walk By Faith and newcomer The Lazarus Effect.
The $300,000 Garrards NZ Pacing Derby has attracted most of our leading three-year-olds, with the exception of Queensland Derby winner Rubira, who has returned north with most of his Mark and Nathan Purdon-trained stablemates after the team raced among their best last week.
“There was clearly something wrong with a lot of them so we will get them home, nurse them well and take them to Alexandra Park next month,” said Mark Purdon.
Derby favorite Got The Chocolates gets barrier 4, inside Marketplace, but the latter is still likely to beat him due to gate speed and then the question is whether Got The Chocolates has earned enough respect to be waved into the lead.
The Pacing Oaks sees last week’s Nevele R winner Celestial Sea once again pulling the second line in a stacked field with other big names Captains Mistress (1), Duchess Of Kent (4) and Arafura (5) all well lined up on the front line.
Meant To Be has opened the $2.15 for the Garrards NZ Trotting Derby after its unruly draw, with Tracy The Jet choosing to miss the race and is now the $1.25 pop to win the $140,000 Woodlands Stud NZ Trotting Oaks.
The five Group 1 races will be held in successive races and with the meeting also including a Group 2 and two Group 3 races, it almost feels like a throwback to the cup weeks of old, when cup week extended into the following weekend.
To see Friday’s fields click here
Through Michael Guerinfor Harness Racing New Zealand
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