Racing: Dalgety likes wider draw

Terror To Love (left) has drawn barrier 9 in his attempt to win the New Zealand Cup for the fourth time. Picture / Getty Images

Trainer speaks of slingshot effect as Christen Me aims to take out NZ Trotting Cup

Trainer Cran Dalgety hopes the "slingshot effect" of being drawn wider can propel Christen Me to New Zealand Trotting Cup glory.

The second favourite has drawn barrier seven in Tuesday's classic at Addington, with arch rival Terror To Love to start from nine as he looks for a historic fourth win in the $700,000 race.

Hands Christian has drawn inside them at four but his stablemate Adore Me looked the big loser in the draw as she will start off the second line, suggesting she will settle behind the other favourites.

That looked even more likely after Adore Me missed away in last night's Cup trial at Addington, in which she made good ground but her early manners now come under the spotlight again.

The Cup trial did little to shed light on who will win on Tuesday, with Franco Nelson leading a largely single-file bunch before sprinting clear at the 400m, his connections clearly keener for a more searching hitout than most.

Hands Christian ran into second ahead of Tiger Tara while Terror To Love and Christen Me were allowed to run home under their own steam on the rain-soaked track.

The winner paced the 2600m stand in 3:18, the last 800 in 55.5 and 27.7 for the 400m, decent times under the conditions.

But the trial will see the market for the Cup move little, as did the barrier draw, with the biggest movers being Australian pair Seel N Print (1) and For A Reason (2), who both tightened, Seel N Print enormously so.

But Dalgety thinks the wider draws for the favourites are ideal.

"A lot of drivers talk about the slingshot effect horses drawn wide get at the 3200m standing start at Addington," he explains. "The horses coming in out there tend to come up later and don't have to stand as long and that will suit us fine."

Dalgety was initially nonplussed by Christen Me's trial last night then happier once he had spoken to driver Dexter Dunn, who clocked Christen Me to break 55 seconds for his last 800m. "I am sure the horse is where he needs to be and a better horse than he was this time last year," suggests Dalgety.

"And with starting out wide I'd love to think we could head forward at some stage and aim for the front.

"If he gets there he will be hard to beat because I doubt many other drivers would attack him.

"I know Terror will take a lot of beating but I think we might have more raw speed than him. Still, he has three Cups."

Terror To Love's effort last night mirrored previous Cup trials when he wasn't knocked around but while he was $2.40 with the NZ TAB he is longer overseas and shrewd punters will be able to find a $3 price about him somewhere in coming days.

The other Cup news last night was the likelihood Tim Williams will partner Arden Rooney, who needs a new driver as Natalie Rasmussen sticks with Hands Christian.

While the barrier draw for the Cup gave few of our best pacers an advantage, the marbles for the Sires' Stakes Final played right into the hooves of exciting 3-year-old Hughie Green. He secured barrier four, which driver Maurice McKendry described as "ideal", especially with the strong Purdon-Rasmussen representatives all drawing badly.

• The field for the $700,000 New Zealand Trotting Cup at 5.15pm on Tuesday - Seel N Print (1), For A Reason (2), Four Starzzz Flash (3), Hands Christian (4), Jimmy Johnstone (5), Tiger Tara (6), Christen Me (7), Pembrook Benny (8), Terror To Love (9), Franco Nelson (10), Franco Ledger (11), Arden Rooney (12), Adore Me (13), Lewy Risk (14), Pemberton Shard (ur1), Pass Them By (ur2). Emergency: Lewy Risk.