Racing: Besotted eschews Cup for free-for-all

Besotted. Photo / Christine Cornege

One of the wins of the harness racing season hasn't been enough to nudge Besotted toward the New Zealand Cup even though he would be one of the favourites for the iconic $750,000 race.

Besotted overcame a 40m back mark with a sustained surge at Alexandra Park last Friday, one of the few real statement victories of an open class season that has lacked x-factor so far.

While he wasn't beating any fellow Cup contenders, Besotted doesn't need to prove he can do that as he did 18 months ago when he beat subsequent NZ Cup quinellamates Adore Me and Franco Nelson among others in a Taylor Mile.

He has looked back to that form this spring after an injury-enforced layoff but was not nominated for the Cup at Addington on November 10 and trainer Ray Green says they won't be paying the late entry fee.

"I think the Cup is too hard on a lot of horses and he would be one of those," says Green.

"I think it can flatten horses and we have got this fella back where we want him so I'd rather look at the free-for-all on the Friday.

"So the Cup is a definite no-no."

The $250,000 free-for-all three days later looks ideal for Besotted as Cup favourite Christen Me is almost certain to miss it as he will be on his way to Perth for the Inter Dominions.

Besotted will meet key Cup contenders Sky Major and Ohoka Punter in the Holmes D G at Alexandra Park this Friday, the final northern lead-up to the Cup, with the latter pair expected to head to the Flying Stakes at Ashburton 10 days later to round out their preparations.

The Cup market is clouded by the result of a strange Canterbury Classic at Addington last Friday night, in which long-time favourite Christen Me was beaten again.

He was attacked in front and was a brave third but still doesn't look back to his brilliant form of last season, with Tiger Tara and Smolda good enough in beating him home last Friday to suggest they could do so again in the Cup with the right runs.

With Besotted not in the Cup, Ohoka Punter and Sky Major look the only other realistic winning chances four weeks out.

Smolda is into $4 after his big comeback second on Friday and is challenging Christen Me hard at $3.70 for Cup favouritism. But barring injuries the greatest market shaper between now and the Cup will be the Flying Stakes at Ashburton, which has been the best guide to the great race for the last decade.

Cup contenders to fall by the wayside over the weekend include Franco Nelson, last season's runner-up almost certainly out with injury, while the Aussie pair of Mach Beauty and Easy On The Eye are heading to the Interdoms instead.

That could leave Arden Rooney as the only Australian-trained pacer in the Cup.

Meanwhile, imported Scandinavian trotter Daryl Boko looked close to race fitness when he finished second to the mighty Stent at the Addington trials yesterday.

It was the first New Zealand hitout for Daryl Boko, the latest import for trainer Tim Butt.