Republican Party has gone from being a very good pacer to perhaps the best in New Zealand. Photo / Ajay Berry
There could be a race inside a race in the $60,000 NZB Airfreight Flying Stakes at Ashburton today.
The Group two is traditionally the most important lead-up to the IRT New Zealand Cup at Addington on November 11, although this season comes with the major side plot of which Australians will turn up to challenge the locals come Cup Day.
Leap To Fame’s tilt at the Cup looks back on track after his win at Melton on Saturday night with his trainer Grant Dixon saying he is likely to make the trip. He was back into $2 favouritism with the TAB yesterday.
That aside, so far this spring the New Zealand open class ranks have seen a power shift, starting with five or six pacers rated about the same level to Republican Party becoming the clear top dog.
A small dog, but top dog nevertheless.
He probably already was after a surprisingly dominant six months between November last year and May this year, winning the Invercargill and Auckland Cups then the Messenger and the Roy Purdon, all Gr.1s.
Republican Party had always been a good horse but never THE horse, but he has strengthened as he has matured and that durability and toughness which are the best qualities of the stock of his champion sire Bettors Delight have kicked in.
That has also emboldened his young driver Carter Dalgety, who as a former star rugby player didn’t really need much emboldening in the first place.
“I find when I drive him like a really good horse, that is when he goes best,” says Dalgety, whose parents Cran and Chrissie train Republican Party.
“He has earned respect now because when I move on him and he gets the front I keep going at a good tempo and that means every other horse get their chance too.”
That could sum up today’s 2400m standing start because if all the main players step safely, it is hard to imagine most of their drivers wouldn’t be keen to take a trail on Republican Party.
The last thing they want is an early 800m burn that sees them struggling late and getting a headache and a confidence dent heading into Cup week so with his recent form and respect earned, Republican Party’s $2.80 odds seem fair.
There are absolutely rivals good enough to beat him today though, headed by the Hayden and Amanda Cullen-trained pair of We Walk By Faith and Don’t Stop Dreaming.
Both have raced well this spring and Don’t Stop Dreaming in particular looks to be on the improve, having chased Republican Party home when he thrashed many of these in the Canterbury Classic last start.
“Both of ours are in a really good place and Don’t Stop Dreaming is getting close to his peak,” says Cullen.
“But I’d narrowly go for We Walk By Faith as our best chance of the two on Monday.”
As strong as the Flying Stakes is many of today’s other races will also provide pointers to the Gr.1s of Cup week.
The 3-year-old pace gives Marketplace (R7, No.5) to get back to winning form but that won’t be a gimme as Got The Chocolates has at least partially closed the gap between the pair.
The 2-year-old pacing fillies are still working themselves out so Race 4 looks even and a case of whoever gets the best run should win.
The same could be said for the Nevele R Fillies heat as some seriously good 3-year-old fillies clash and maybe the best of them Captains Mistress (R8, No.1) returns from a Queensland campaign but is fresh up with only one trial.
The Cullens have three in that race and Hayden suggests Arafura is their best chance but it is a stacked race with plenty of moving parts.
The juvenile male pacers in Race 10 get a welcome break from the unbeaten (and maybe unbeatable) Jumal and Cullen says their favourite Zeus Lightning is ready to win but his draw will make things interesting.
The two major trotting races today appear a little clearer with Muscle Mountain the standout in the Flying Sprint (R9, No.2), which he is trying to win for the fourth time, versus last season’s victor Bet N Win, who may be disadvantaged by both the draw and a lack of recent racing.
There is little doubt Meant To Be (R6, No.12) is the best horse in the 3-year-old trot but he is on the unruly over 1700m with some speed inside him from Ya Rite Darl, Habibti Pat (awkwardly drawn), and Tarragindi. If the big northerner can roll over the top of them it will be a huge pointer to what lies ahead.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.