Racing: Bookies to risk Auckland Reactor

Franco Emirate is one of several classy 5-year-olds preparing for the New Zealand Cup in November. Photo / Dean Purcell

Bookmakers are ready to take on Auckland Reactor for the first time in his career.

And that could see the one-time pacing hero at career-best odds when the market for November's New Zealand Trotting Cup opens today.

Nominations for the $600,000 classic closed yesterday with 49 entries, a significantly higher number than have made the first payment in recent years.

Among them are two-time defending champion Monkey King and the horse who has chased him home in both those wins, Smoken Up.

An army of high-class 5-year-olds is led by Messenger and Harness Jewels winner Franco Emirate, Hunter Cup runner-up Smiling Shard and group one winners Gomeo Romeo, Sir Lincoln and Devil Dodger.

But the enigma of the race - provided his preparation even makes it past the next 10 days - is Auckland Reactor.

The millionaire pacer is still very much on trial for the Cup because of his poor standing start manners, which will undergo another examination this Saturday.

Trainer Mark Purdon will take him to the Motukarara workouts, where if he begins safely from behind the tapes he will race in a standing start race at Addington next Friday.

"I am happy with his progress since he trialled last week and at this stage we are serious about the Cup," said Purdon.

"But he will need to keep stepping at least all right from a stand and next Friday's race will tell us a lot."

Auckland Reactor is set to meet Monkey King and many of the southern big guns in his comeback race but while he will have his supporters next week, TAB bookmakers will be taking him on as a Cup winning chance right from the opening of the market today.

"While we are still working on the exact market, I doubt we will have him in the first six favourites," TAB harness bookie Steve Richardson told the Herald.

"He has a lot to prove from a standing start as far as we are concerned and there is a chance he could even miss the race.

"So we will be giving punters a chance to back him at the sort of odds they won't get if he actually starts in the race."

Framing of the Cup book has proved tricky for Richardson as he sees Smoken Up as the clear favourite but his participation is still not entirely certain.

It is expected to be at least another two weeks before the verdict in Smoken Up's Interdominion drug case is known and that will have a bearing on whether his connections send him across the Tasman for the Cup.

If he makes the trip he deserves to be around a $4 favourite but even those small doubts could see him open around $5 today.

"Monkey King will obviously be well in the market after the way he won last Sunday and Franco Emirate is a horse we always have respect for," said Richardson.

The Cup is shaping as a real battle between the old warhorses and the 5-year-olds.

The oldies are led by Smoken Up, Monkey King, Power Of Tara and Bondy, whereas the 5-year-olds also include Terror To Love, Pure Power, River Field, Mach Banner and Franco Jamar on top of the group one winners.

Terror To Love and Mach Banner will be the next of those to show their progress since last season when they return to racing at Addington tonight.

Terror To Love has been burning up the trials track and comes in well to race four, off just a 10m handicap.

With better luck he would have won a seriously big race last season but should justify his short odds tonight.

Other interesting Cup entries include former US pacing star Lisagain, who is now trained by Tim Butt, but a notable absentee is last season's third-placed Sleepy Tripp.

He is recovering from a leg injury suffered during the Interdominions and may need to be spelled for another six months.