It was shaping as the clash of the squaregaiting season - Lyell Creek against his stablemate and possible heir to the trotting throne Take A Moment.
But not anymore. Because one look at Lyell Creek at the Alexandra Park workouts on Saturday confirmed what trainer Tim Butt already knew. Lyell Creek will end Take A Moment's winning streak in the Challenge Stakes this Friday.
Take A Moment's never-say-die victory last Friday lifted him into open class and suggests with the handicaps in his favour he could beat his champion stablemate this week.
And if Lyell Creek continues to race like he did at the New Zealand Cup carnival then maybe Take A Moment could beat him because while the champ won the Dominion Handicap he didn't look the terrifying trotting monster he had earlier in the season.
But that monster is now back.
Lyell Creek killed his rivals at Saturday's workouts, beating handy pacer Leading Chance with a last 800m in 57.5 seconds, thanks to a 28.4 second 400m sectional down the back straight.
"He is back to his best now," said Butt.
"He seems to be over whatever was affecting him during the cup carnival and on that effort it is going to be hard for Take A Moment or any other horse to beat him."
It may seem a little strange to say Lyell Creek wasn't at his best during the Cup carnival considering he came off a 15m handicap to easily beat the next best trotters in New Zealand the $100,000 Dominion Handicap.
But he simply wasn't himself and Butt is now admits he knew something was wrong with the champ.
"He hit a bit of a flat patch. I don't think that was anything to do with why he galloped on Show Day because that was due to him choking down.
"But he just didn't seem 100 per cent right over Cup time. He is now though."
Lyell Creek not only seems to thrive in the warmer Auckland climate but also trots more cleanly right-handed and unless he cops a handicap of more than 40m in the Challenge Stakes he will start.
And win.
* * *
Holmes D G was pacing perfection for the last 2650m of his final Auckland Cup trial on Saturday. But the first 50m is the worry.
The Miracle Mile hero returned to Alexandra Park and produced his best trials effort for a year when easily beating stablemate Pic Me Pockets in the main 2700m heat.
He paced beautifully, didn't hang as he sometimes can and produced a powerful sprint three wide from the 500m and hit the line full of running yet was still to good for Pic Me Pockets even though the latter took the short route over the last 400m in 27.2 seconds.
It was, quite simply, the trial of a pacer six days away from winning the Auckland Cup.
Apart from that first 50m. Because that was when Holmes D G was up to his old tricks, the sort of tricks that saw him blow any chance he had in the New Zealand Cup.
The Grand Circuit champion only galloped briefly at the start, losing no more than a few lengths.
It was not an issue in a four horse field only going at workout pace. If he does the same in the Auckland Cup, with 14 rivals hellbent on breaking four minute for the 3200m, then he will not win.
Remarkably for a horse who has won $1.4 million and 10 group one races Holmes D G is still off the front line in the cup, receiving a 15m start from favourite Yulestar. Bit even a brief gallop will mean he could settle near the rear and the road to cup glory will seem like the highway to hell.
Trainer-driver Barry Purdon is not getting too worked up about Holmes D G's standing start manners, which is a pretty smart idea because there isn't a lot he can do about them.
TAB bookies shortened Holmes D G to $5 second favourite behind Yulestar at $3.50 after the workout win and if you are willing to take the gamble he will step safely that could be good money as he is likely to pay less on the night.
While beaten Pic Me Pockets showed on Saturday he will give Purdon a handy second stringer in the cup, particularly with Tony Herlihy doing the steering.
And Cigar produced a strong late run for third after an early gallop from the ace draw, continuing a good run of recent workouts form, but is well under his expected racenight odds at $11 on the fixed odds.
* * *
Franco Heir is ready to give John Hay some Great Northern Derby revenge.
Hay was unlucky not to win the Derby four years ago with Franco Enforce and is understandably keen to square the ledger in the December 22 classic.
And he definitely has the right ammunition to do it in Franco Heir.
The Sires' Stakes Final winner had his first look at Alexandra Park on Saturday and bolted in, pacing his last 800m in 56.1 seconds, to beat Grand Canyon and Derby rival I'vecomealongway.
His performance was nothing more than arch-rivals City Rogue or Young Rufus would have produced under the same circumstances but he looked like he could have gone a lot quicker.
With only four starts under his belt inexperience would appear to be Franco Heir's biggest concern come Derby night but he erased those concerns by showing high gate speed on Saturday before settling perfectly in the trail and cornering like he had been racing on right-handed tracks all his life.
He may start in a class two race on Friday as his final lead-up to the Derby.
* * *
Interdominion champion Shakamaker bounced back from his Miracle Mile failure with an easy win at Moonee Valley on Saturday night.
He overcame a second line draw by pacing his last mile in 1:56.9 to win a $20,000 event and now heads to the Tasmanian Pacing Champs on December 30 before heading to the West Australia Cup.
Racing: Champion trotter sends warning to stablemate with stunning trial
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