By MICHAEL GUERIN
Try working this one out.
Cool Hand Luke and Mike's Pal are last-start feature race winners, trained and driven by the biggest names in harness racing and are previous winners in Australia.
Which would seem to make them ideal contenders for this Friday's $A200,000 Chariots Of Fire in Sydney.
Then there are Stars And Stripes and Dancingonmoonlight. Both have been absolutely brained in their latest two outings.
So what happened when the field for Australasia's richest 4-year-old race was chosen in Sydney?
Stars And Stripes and Dancingonmoonlight got in, Cool Hand Luke and Mike's Pal were ignored.
The staggering decision by officials from the New South Wales Harness Racing Club looked even stranger after Cool Hand Luke returned a stunning workout at Alexandra Park on Saturday, suggesting he now must be challenging Stars And Stripes for the title of New Zealand's best four-year-old.
Not that Stars and Stripes doesn't deserve to be in the Chariots Of Fire field, even though his one dimentional sit-sprint tactics have been exposed several times this season.
He is, after all, the reigning New Zealand Pacer of the Year and last season won four Derbys, two in Australia, so his form is well known to Australian punters, which should help with turnover on the big race.
Dancingonmonlight is also well known to Australian punters, having won the NSW Oaks last season and most other years would deserve an invite to the group one sprint.
As it was she was only first emergency but has made the field after her arch-rival Tupelo Rose was withdrawn on Saturday to concentrate on her upcoming New Zealand campaign.
But for all Dancingonmoonlight's undoubted ability she can hardly be rated in the same class right now as Cool Hand Luke, who dominated the Elliot Futurity series at Cambridge and pushed Black Cam close over the Auckland Cup carnival.
Exactly why NSWHRC officials did not invite Cool Hand Luke or Mike's Pal, who returned to his best form with a last-start win in the Cambridge Classic - beating Dancingonmoonlight and Stars And Stripes - is a complete mystery.
The NSWHRC has usually had a good relationship with the two pacers' respective trainers, Barry Purdon (Mike's Pal) and Mark Purdon (Cool Hand Luke).
The brothers have had a runner in eight of the last 10 Miracle Miles, the other major race held by the NSWHRC.
But when both trainers inquired last week about getting invitations to the race, they were given no real indication as to their chances of success. As a result they were frustrated and a little annoyed with their treatment.
It is not the first time this season the NSWHRC has got off side with a New Zealand trainer.
In November a NSWHRC official told Cambridge trainer Andrew Neal his mare Flight South would not be good enough to race in the mares-only Ladyship Mile. Five weeks later she won the Auckland Cup.
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While surprised to sneak Dancingonmoonlight into the Chariots Of Fire field trainer Steven Reid says the mare cannot be written off just because she was disappointing in the lead-up at Harold Park last Friday.
Dancingonmoonlight led the 1760m Paleface Adios Sprint and after six of the nine starters were intererred with on the first bend she appeared certain to take catching.
But she was easily collared in the final 400m and along with stablemate Quick Tip finished well back.
"When I first saw the race I was disappointed but after studying the sectional times it wasn't that bad,"said Reid.
"She paced her first 400m off the mobile start in 26.5 seconds and set them up for a 1:55.4 race record mile rate.
"And Jofess, who was parked, had a real hard look at her down the back straight .
"I just don't think she was ready for a run like that at just her third start back," said Reid.
"But she is in the field now and if she gets a good draw we can drive her a little bit quieter and hope for some luck."
Stable reinsman Brent Mangos is likely to drive at Alexandra Park on Friday, leaving Dancingonmoonlight to be handled by New South Welshman Greg Bennett.
Quick Tip will start in an M1-2 field on Friday night.
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Mark Purdon got some compensation for Cool Hand Luke's omission from the Chariots Of Fire with stable newcomer Dependable at the Alexandra Park workouts on Saturday.
Last season's Juvenile Trotter of the Year joined Purdon last week and was an easy winner against some talented older rivals.
He will make his stable debut at Alexandra Park on Friday week.
Cool Hand Luke, All Action Son and Cautious Spirit give Purdon a strong hand in the talent-packed major three-year-old trotting features coming up at the Rowe Cup carnival.
Racing: Hard to fathom omission of last-start winning pair from Chariots Of Fire
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