Aussie hero Blacks A Fake is a shock withdrawal from Saturday night's A$425,000 Victoria Cup.
And that is great news for Auckland fans hoping to see the champ for the first time at Alexandra Park for the Auckland Cup in March.
Trainer Natalie Rasmussen stunned rival trainers by pulling Australia's
richest pacer out of the Victoria Cup yesterday morning.
Blacks A Fake easily won the A$20,000 Lord Mayors Cup in Brisbane last Saturday night and was expected to start in the Victoria Cup, which will feature Smoken Up, Villagem, Mr Feelgood and the New Zealand-trained pair of Bondy and Sleepy Tripp.
But Rasmussen says her desire to give Blacks A Fake his best shot at a fifth Interdominion Final win in Christchurch in April was behind her decision to miss the Victorian classic.
"He won well the other night but I want to give him an easier time and concentrate on the Interdominions," she said.
So Blacks A Fake will race in Brisbane this week and then have a short spell before preparing for the Interdominions.
And Rasmussen has given the biggest indication yet that could include racing at Alexandra Park for his New Zealand debut.
She says she wants Blacks A Fake's lead-up races to be in New Zealand, with the Auckland Cup Carnival perfectly placed, starting three weeks before the Interdoms.
Blacks A Fake could contest the New Zealand Herald Free-For-All on the opening night of Cup week before the Auckland Cup on his way to Christchurch.
That raises the possibility of a clash of harness racing's superheroes at Alexandra Park in March with Monkey King and Smoken Up already likely to use the Auckland carnival as their Interdom build-up.
And Mark Purdon is still quietly confident he can have fallen star Auckland Reactor resurrected in time for the Auckland Cup.
"He has had the hopples on a few times now and so far so good," Purdon told the Herald.
He will take Sleepy Tripp and I Can Doosit to Melton this week for the Victoria Cup and Trotting Grand Prix respectively.
He was thrilled with I Can Doosit's national record win in the Lyell Creek at Alexandra Park on Friday but draws for the race will be crucial after Aussie champ Sundon's Gift used his gate speed to cruise to another all-the-way win at Cranbourne on Saturday night.
"But I think the longer distance at least helps my horse, he will be better suited to that than the Mile he would have had to race over at Cranbourne," says Purdon.
He was not too disappointed with hot favourite Sleepy Tripp's third behind Pembrook Benny at Alexandra Park last Friday. "He was all right and, to be honest, Tony [Herlihy] pretty much out-drove us all."
Meanwhile, top Canterbury mare Nearea Franco is missing from Friday night's star-studded Alexandra Park meeting but trainer Steven McRae says he is not losing too much sleep over it.
She was to have contested the $80,000 Queen Of Hearts, a race she won two years ago, but has just recovered from a leg injury suffered during New Zealand Cup week.
"She is back jogging and I will aim her for the mares' races at Addington later in the summer," said McRae.
"While I would have loved to have her there this Friday night after the way De Lovely won last Friday night it might not be a bad race to miss."
AUCKLAND BOUND?
* Blacks A Fake is a shock absentee from the Victoria Cup.
* That increases hopes he will race at Alexandra Park in March.
* That could see him clash with Monkey King, Smoken Up and Auckland Reactor.
* Past winner Nearea Franco will miss Friday night's Queen Of Hearts at Alexandra Park.
