Racing: Big inter-island challenge

Brent Mangos. Photo / Martin Sykes

North Island traitor Brent Mangos could be the big winner out of the inaugural Island of Origin series at Alexandra Park tonight.

Mangos has lived in the North Island almost his entire professional career but being born in Christchurch will represent the South Island in tonight's series.

It pits six of the best drivers from each island against each other over five races, with drives drawn randomly, and accumulated points will decide the winning team.

The system sees 17 points for a win, 12 for second, 10 for third, and then one point less for each spot further back a driver finishes.

So, with a win being worth five points more than second, victories will be crucial.

The TAB is providing betting on the winning team and head-to-head betting on selected drivers.

And Mangos looks the one to beat alongside northern rival top Cambridge horseman David Butcher, with the pair rated $1.87 chances in a head-to-head option.

The pair have strong books with all five of Mangos' drives likely to start in the first four favourites and all having a serious winning chance.

And he gets the bonus of also training Talaspring, who will be the hot favourite to win the opening race tonight in the hands of Mark Purdon.

Mangos will partner Kotare Casino there, high-class 4-year-olds Courageous Falcon (race three) and Stormy Sirocco (race five), competitive maiden Captain America (race four) and talented trotting mare Toggle (race seven).

So he looks a slightly better bet than Butcher in their head-to-head clash.

Butcher does have the luxury of driving one of his own stable in Our Boy Su in race five, speedster Elsa in the first, the well-drawn Diablo Storm (race three), huge winning chance My Uncle Matt (race four) but might be let down by Mr International in the last leg.

The series concept has understandably received outstanding support from trainers, with all five races being penalty-free and for $15,000.

So much so it has impacted on the northern participation in the lower-grade races at the NZ Cup Carnival next week, with few northern raiders in the support races.

Even though the southern team has wonderkid Dexter Dunn in their ranks with only 568 career wins in New Zealand to his name, they still boast the higher number of total wins.

That is because our second-most successful horseman ever, Maurice McKendry, was born in Methven and his 2815 career NZ wins takes the southern team's total to 9294, which is 91 more than their northern rivals.

But with the New Zealand Cup just days away it is worth noting the northern team have celebrated more Cup driving successes with 10 (Todd Mitchell four, Tony Herlihy three, Mark Purdon two, Butcher one) compared with the South's seven (Ricky May four, Anthony Butt three).

While the standard of horsemanship in the series is world class, drivers partnering horses they know well or even train is always a bonus.

And horses usually driven by part-timers who get a professional on tonight also warrant respect - the best example being Grant Our Chances in race seven, who sees regular driver Bernie Hackett replaced by brilliant Canterbury pilot Mark Jones.

Mate against mate

* The inaugural Island Of Origin drivers series will be held at Alexandra Park tonight.

* It pits six leading drivers from each island against each other in a team format, with drivers representing the island they were born in.

* The points system means wins are crucial in the individual standings.

* The TAB will be taking betting on the winning team and selected head-to-heads.

North Island

TONY HERLIHY: Born, Te Awamutu. First win: Gymea Gold, Cambridge, Jan 6, 1978. Career wins in NZ: 2975.

DAVID BUTCHER: Born, Cambridge. First win: Missy Crockett, Claudelands, Aug 21, 1981. Career wins: 1637.

PETER FERGUSON: Born, North Shore. First win: Sobriety, Cambridge, 21 March 1986. Career wins: 1593.

MARK PURDON: Born, Pukekohe. First win: Dark And Dusty, Ruakaka, Feb 1, 1982. Career wins: 1124.

JAMES STORMONT: Born, Pukekohe. First win: Proudfoot, Hutt Park, Sept 4, 1982. Career wins: 1030.

TODD MITCHELL: Born, Cambridge. First win: Sue's Fortune, Cambridge, April 26, 1989. Career wins: 844.

South Island

BRENT MANGOS: Born, Christchurch. First win: Robin Mac, Ruakaka, Feb 26, 1982. Career wins: 1144.

MAURICE McKENDRY: Born, Methven. First win: Pleasant Command, Cambridge, Aug 26, 1975. Wins: 2815.

RICKY MAY: Born, Methven. First win: Ruling River, Geraldine, Nov 27, 1976. Career wins: 2118.

ANTHONY BUTT: Born, Christchurch. First win: Premiership, Hutt Park, Sept 6, 1983. Career wins: 1448.

MARK JONES: Born, Christchurch. First win: Lord Phantom, Blenheim, Nov 6, 1996. Career wins: 1201.

DEXTER DUNN: Born, Christchurch. First NZ win: Crusader Franco, Ashburton, Nov 16, 2006. Career wins: 568.