Racing: Huge offer made for Tintin In America

The future of the heir to the New Zealand pacing throne will be decided next week.

That is when ATC Trot Syndicate members will consider a huge offer for Tintin In America, the freakish pacer set to step up to superstardom next season.

Syndicate manager Rob Carr has confirmed an offer has been made and while he would not discuss money, Herald investigations suggest it is about $800,000.

The offer is believed to have been made by a Canterbury agent on behalf of an overseas buyer who would initially look to race Tintin In America in New Zealand.

While the offer is large by Australasian harness racing standards it is likely to be turned down as almost half of the syndicate members with shares in Tintin In America also had shares in his former stablemate Changeover.

With Changeover having passed his fertility tests so now confirmed to stand at Nevele R Stud next season after being sold for $2 million, many of those owners are cashed up and looking for an open-class horse to fill the void.

The Herald also understands the other ATC syndicate open-class pacer Awesome Armbro is the centre of a much smaller offer, which is more likely to be accepted as he has a limited future in New Zealand.

He would be likely to head to the United States, where he would be suited by the mile racing.

Tintin In America, though could develop into the best pacer in Australasia, especially with the open-class ranks set to be savaged by retirements.

Changeover and Auckland Reactor are already gone for good while Mr Feelgood will not be far behind.

While Blacks A Fake will race again next season he is unlikely to travel far from his native Queensland except for the Interdominions in Christchurch if he makes it that far.

That leaves Monkey King as clear top dog among the New Zealand pacers with not many true superstars in Australia to threaten his crown.

Tintin In America is much like Monkey King was at the same age, a dazzling speedster lacking the toughness needed for a concentrated Grand Circuit campaign.

But if he can mature into anything like Monkey King he could easily win a major cup next season and have two or three more years in the big time with enormous earning potential.

He did, after all, push Monkey King close in the Auckland Cup last month in only his second open-class race.

And this season he still has the Taylor Mile, Messenger Pace and Harness Jewels as confirmed targets before a possible tilt at the Chariots of Fire.

He would be more likely to bypass the last-mentioned though to have a decent winter spell before being set for the New Zealand Cup, a race he would be second favourite for if a market was set today.

Tintin In America will open a short-priced favourite for his division of the Harness Jewels when the markets come out next Wednesday but he looks certain to meet Australian stars Bonavista Bay and Captain Joy.

The connections of both have confirmed their wonderful pacers will fly into Auckland on April 25 to take in the Taylor-Messenger double, with Captain Joy definitely staying for the Jewels on June 5 should he earn enough money.

That in itself will not be easy though, with the mid-May cut off points for that division of the Jewels likely to be around $50,000 to make the top 12 on the stakes-based rankings.

That could mean the Australian raiders need to win one or place in both of the Alexandra Park group ones to make the Jewels cut-off.

MOST WANTED
* An offer believed to be around $800,000 has been made for Tintin In America.
* His syndicate of owners will meet to vote on it next Thursday.
* An offer has also been made for the ATC syndicate-owned Awesome Armbro.
* Tintin In America will open favourite for his division of the Harness Jewels when markets come out next week.