Horse Racing: Christian Cullen odds-on for record

By Michael Guerin

The horse everybody loves should set another record tonight - before the Auckland Trotting Cup even starts.

Christian Cullen is running out of accomplishments after a year in which defeat has been a stranger.

He won last month's New Zealand Trotting Cup and beat up Australia's best horses in a Miracle Mile that lived up to its name.

But even if he finally meets his match in tonight's $200,000 Cup at Alexandra Park, he should still set one record even harness racing legend Cardigan Bay
could not get near.

Christian Cullen fever has spread so contagiously that he looks certain to start the hottest Auckland Cup favourite ever. In fact, he should start the hottest favourite in any major Cup race in New Zealand, galloping or harness racing.

The shortest recorded favourite in a major New Zealand race was another Canterbury 4-year-old, Roydon Glen, who won the 1985 Auckland Trotting Cup paying just $1.55.

But that was when the race was a mobile start over 2700m.

Tonight's 15 Cup starters face a gutbusting 3200m and Christian Cullen will have to start from a 10m handicap because of his New Zealand Cup win.

Yet he was still paying only $1.45 on the TAB's fixed-odds market yesterday and is likely to be around the $1.50 mark when betting closes at 9.45 tonight.

The giant Canterbury pacer will be looking for some revenge over arch-rival Holmes D G, who downed him in the Great Northern Derby on this track a year ago, the last time he was beaten.

Holmes D G heads a seven strong representation from the north's leading two stables, South Auckland's famous Purdon brothers.

Christian Cullen looked in the right shape to carry that sort of money with a blistering final workout at Pukekohe on Sunday, pacing his last 800m faster than any pacer before on the tight training track.

While having to start from 10m behind his rivals would seem certain to make Christian Cullen's task harder, trainer Brian O'Meara has indicated that he thinks the extra space could help his superstar.

O'Meara points out that Christian Cullen has often made brilliant beginnings when following out other horses and that the stallion could make up much of his handicap within the first 400m.

And as if public expectations of Christian Cullen were not enough, the handsome 4-year-old will have some added pressure tonight.

His All Black fullback namesake is flying to Auckland to cheer on his favourite horse.