Racing: Cran Dalgety faces difficult task to prepare Krug for The Race

Krug. Photo / Supplied

Top harness racing trainer Cran Dalgety is facing one of the greatest challenges of his career preparing Krug for the $900,000 The Race at Cambridge next month.

He is getting a preview of how that may play out as Remember Me heads to the $150,000 Northern Oaks at Alexandra Park on Friday.

Dalgety has won major races all over Australasia so the pressure of Group 1 preps is nothing new to him, but he has been more tender loving carer than horse trainer this week.

Krug and Remember Me have returned from punishing Sydney campaigns that started well but ended poorly. They need to recharge and Dalgety says means less is more.

"They both went super when they first got over there but then for either reasons of luck, which comes down to draws, or getting a bit tired, their form dropped off," says Dalgety. "So I am now in a phase of getting the best out of them by freshening them up, making them happy and trying to peak them again."

For Krug, that means missing Alexandra Park next Friday and maybe only trialling at Cambridge a week before The Race, the new slot race set to launch on April 14.

That launch will now be open to the public after the Government relaxation of crowd restrictions.

Krug was one of the favourites for The Race early but his Sydney form drop-off has seen him drift to $17 with the TAB, odds unlikely to shorten until at least the barrier draw since he won't be taking on Self Assured, South Coast Arden, Mach Dan and Spankem at Alexandra Park on April 1.

"He was a bit flat when he got back from Sydney but is looking and feeling good now," says Dalgety.

"But if they have a trial in between races at Cambridge a week out from The Race that is where we will head. He can race very well on the fresh side, as we saw when he came from a wide barrier to pace 1:49 to win fresh-up in Sydney."

Krug will have premiership winner Blair Orange in the sulky for The Race, with Tony Herlihy now confirmed for visiting Australian mare Spellbound as The Race starts to take final shape.

Self Assured is the $2.30 favourite for The Race, ahead of Mach Dan and South Coast Arden at $5.50 with Spankem the only likely starter yet to be confirmed for the event, his spot dependant on his performance on April 1.

South Coast Arden's slot was finalised today.

Dalgety's softly-softly approach to Krug is being mirrored with Remember Me heading into Friday night's Oaks, one of the four age-group features on Northern Derby night at Alexandra Park.

Remember Me, a daughter of champion mare Adore Me, had little luck in the back end of her Sydney campaign and then returned home to a torrid run in the Oaks Prelude at Alexandra Park last Friday.

She is good enough to test favourite True Fantasy on Friday and at her peak would be suited by the 2700m but a succession of hard runs has Dalgety trying to massage her to the race.

"We are freshening her up this week, trying to get her happy and then hopefully she can show her best."

The Oaks is a form puzzle for punters as True Fantasy produced a career-worst performance last start and hasn't trialled since.

Trainer Mark Purdon suggests the severe dust in her paddock at Pukekohe — until the weather changed late last week and began raining — had been affecting her.

At her best, she would win the Oaks, especially from barrier one.

But with her recent defeat and some doubts over how screwed down she can be, True Fantasy could be tested early.