New Zealand harness racing's greatest weakness - standing starts - finally claimed our greatest horse last night.
Auckland Reactor lost his unbeaten record when he finished a phenomenal second to All Tiger in the $60,000 Jardines Futurity at Cambridge.
The champion 4 -year-old lost 60m in an early
gallop and only his freakish ability allowed him to be challenging the eventual winner at the top of the straight.
But with a vastly easier run, and aided by a great drive from David Butcher, All Tiger had too much in reserve for Auckland Reactor, beating him by three-quarters of a length.
It was a sad way to see the great horse suffer defeat, forced into a standing start after two rapid-fire mobile races in recent weeks.
While harness racing bosses will not hear criticism of our industry's antiquated standing start system, the fact remains hundreds of thousands of dollars were lost in the most unsavoury of fashions last night.
And it poses the question: why New Zealand harness racing does not at least extensively trial the walk-up starts that are the norm in Europe? Instead we stick with the stand-and-go mode which makes so many races a lottery.
Last night's lottery had few winners and many losers.
Trainer-driver Mark Purdon was still proud of Auckland Reactor, who paced his last 2400m in under 2:55 but realises the horse's North American-based owners will not be pleased to lose their winning record because of standing start rules they find difficult to comprehend.
"It was an amazing run and I am very proud of him," said Purdon.
"But not even he could win after what happened at the start. He just wouldn't come down."
Auckland Reactor will now have a small break and prepare for Auckland Cup week, where both his races will be mobile starts.
Purdon says last night's financial disaster for punters will not deter him from aiming Auckland Reactor at the standing start Easter Cup at Addington in April or next season's New Zealand Cup.
"But it is fair to say his owners think having the New Zealand Cup as a standing start is a shambles," he said.
