Racing: Auckland Reactor heads NZ Cup market

TAB bookie Steve Richardson's timing could have been better but you get the idea.

"Auckland Reactor is like the All Blacks, he is always going to take emotional money," he said yesterday.

While the All Blacks may not be every punters' favourite at the moment, Richardson's point still gets across - the TAB can't take too many chances with Auckland Reactor in the New Zealand Trotting Cup.

The opening market for our greatest harness race was released yesterday with Auckland Reactor the $3.50 favourite, short considering this Cup could be the strongest in over a decade.

"We will still be able to sell him at $3.50 because he has won so many punters so much money in the past," said Richardson.

"And he is the All Blacks of harness racing, he takes a lot of the emotional money and has the name recognition."

The odds looked too short after Auckland Reactor did his best impression of the All Blacks form this season, missing away from the standing start and galloping for 75m before winning his comeback trial at Addington yesterday.

It confirmed once again he might have the biggest motor in New Zealand harness racing but he isn't entirely sure how to use it economically.

He heads the market in front of Interdominion winners Blacks A Fake and Mr Feelgood at $6, with defending champion Changeover at $7.

Monkey King, who ran second in the Cup two years ago and has been to the workouts twice in recent weeks, is rated at $9.

The nominations for the Cup are huge and provide plenty of options for punters to jump on top horses at long odds, particularly the Australians.

Australasian mile record holder Smoken Up is an $18 chance, while veteran Karloo Mick is at $13.

Be Good Johnny is rated a $21 chance even though he has bounced back to superb form in Queensland, while there will be plenty keen on the $21 for former glamour boy Lombo Pocket Watch should be make the trip.

Even last Friday's Alexandra Park winner Awesome Armbro will have friends at $26, as will Bondy at the same price.

The depth of the nominations for the $1 million Cup will have plenty of trainers nervous, even some of those who would have been considered certainties to get a start last year.

While last season's runner-up Baileys Dream is out with injury, the rest of our open class armoury seems to be firing.

If only three of the six Australians nominated make the field, the provisional starting 15, if selected in market order today, could look something like this: Auckland Reactor, Blacks A Fake, Mr Feelgood, Changeover, Monkey King, Kiwi Ingenuity, Karloo Mick, Smoken Up, All Tiger, Awesome Armbro, Bondy, Nearea Franco, Tribute, Pembrook Benny and Special Ops.

That could leave pacers like Report For Duty, Big Dog, Tennis Ball, Ohoka Dallas, Mr Molly, Zenad and Power Of Tara fighting to force their way into the field.

And the problem for them is with the lead-up races certain to contain so many of the big-name pacers it will be hard to earn form to get into the race.

A great problem for Addington, not so much fun for some of our leading trainers.