Racing: Hunter Cup raid brightens

New Zealand's hopes of Hunter Cup glory have taken several steps forward and one back in the last 36 hours.

The field for the A$450,000 handicap was released in Melbourne yesterday, with all six New Zealand pacers nominated making the cut.

That means Howard Bromac, Harnetts Creek, Oscar Wild, Mister D G and Young Rufus will join Kiwi hero Elsu in the world's richest harness racing handicap.

After speculation that Oscar Wild was in danger of missing selection, the inclusion of all six New Zealand pacers in the 14-horse field was a bonus.

And that was not the only good news for the raiders.

Elsu demonstrated he took no harm from his fresh-up win at Alexandra Park last Thursday by travelling well and then working impressively yesterday morning.

"He has come through last Thursday's race well even though it was a hard one," said trainer Geoff Small.

Elsu's regular attendant, Kendall Laidlaw, has accompanied the five-year-old to Victoria and reported back to Small that he hit out freely in trackwork yesterday morning.

Small will fly to Melbourne tonight to drive Elsu in his final workout tomorrow morning.

While Elsu was getting acclimatised to Victoria on his first trip there, fellow New Zealand pacer Young Rufus was in a far more serious mood.

The comeback king took on Hunter Cup favourite The Warp Drive at the Geelong trials on Monday night and beat him impressively.

In what is a worry for Saturday night, Young Rufus missed away and lost 20m in the 2100m standing start trial but soon made up that ground and worked forward to take the lead off The Warp Drive with a lap to go.

He held the in-form Victorian pacer out to win by a metre, pacing his last 1600m in an outstanding 1:57.2, his final 800m in 56.4.

While The Warp Drive was not pushed to try to beat the Kiwi it did show Young Rufus will be competitive on Saturday provided he can step safely from the outside of the 10m mark.

He will share that handicap with defending champion Mister D G, while Elsu will start from the outside of the 20m mark, alongside The Falcon Strike.

But while there was plenty of good news for our pacers yesterday there was also some bad.

The in-form The Warp Drive has drawn barrier two off the front line.

He showed good standing start manners to lead throughout in the Geelong Cup last start and after drawing perfectly yesterday he was being rated the $3.25 favourite by the Victorian TAB bookies.

His draw gives him the chance to lead once again and make the backmarkers work to even keep in touch, let alone come wide on the track and run past him.

He is joined on the front line by New South Wales pacer Te Kanarama, who has been the unlucky horse of the Australian summer and is rated a $5.50 chance after drawing barrier six.

Elsu is the shortest priced of the New Zealanders at $4.50 but because of his buzz factor he may start shorter on Saturday night.

The other Kiwis are at generous odds - Mister D G at $13, Young Rufus $16, Howard Bromac paying $16, Harnetts Creek at $25 and Oscar Wild, one of the outsiders, at $40.

* The Hunter Cup field is (seven off the front line). - Sandy Bay (1), The Warp Drive (2), Howard Bromac (3), Hexus (4), Blue Gum Forest (5), Te Kanarama (6), Harnetts Creek (7), Flashing Red (8), Oscar Wild (9), Mont Denver Gold (10); Mister D G (ur1), Young Rufus (ur2), 10m; The Falcon Strike (1), Elsu (ur), 20m.

Hunter Cup

* At A$450,000 it is the richest pacing handicap in the world.

* New Zealand will have six starters in Saturday night's race at Moonee Valley.

* Dual Auckland Cup winner Elsu has settled in well.

* Young Rufus beat race favourite The Warp Drive in a trial on Monday night.