KEY POINTS:
Justa Tiger may only be a decent meal away from the biggest payday for a New Zealand juvenile pacer in Australia.
The Kumeu pacer has emerged as a serious contender for the A$314,000 ($363,000) male juvenile pacer's final at the Breeders Crown at Ballarat on Sunday.
While the
showy pacer wouldn't rank in the top six of his age in New Zealand, he shocked Australian punters with a fighting second to pre-series favourite Maffioso in his semi-final of the series on Tuesday.
Justa Tiger sat parked for the last lap and was only just nosed out and although that was impressive enough, driver Maurice McKendry says the on-track performance only tells half the story.
Justa Tiger didn't settle in that well when he first arrived in Victoria and was off his food, unusually for him.
"Before the race Ray [Green, co-trainer] wasn't all that confident because the horse hadn't been eating that well," said McKendry.
"So I thought it would be great if we could just make the final.
"But as it was he went great and I actually thought I'd won."
Justa Tiger has drawn four in the 2200m final on Sunday and McKendry believes if the son of Christian Cullen and the great mare Tigerish is back to his peak he can win.
"If he is eating better by Sunday then you would think he will be a better horse and he does have a better draw.
"So we are in with a hope."
Justa Tiger looked speedy but a touch weak early in the season and only appeared be turning the corner starting the winter.
"When he came back for this campaign I knew he was a different horse, he felt a lot stronger than earlier in the season," said McKendry.
Ironically Justa Tiger wasn't supposed to be in this series, with his connections expecting to take stablemate Cody Banks, who suffered a minor setback.
With Justa Tiger's recent improvement he looks a serious each way chance on Sunday, especially as the co-mingled pools will provide New Zealand punters with a fair price.
It was hard to argue with the winning performances of Maffioso or Flightpath in their semifinals on Tuesday but neither looked awesome and they both face second line draws.
Maffioso has a huge reputation in Australia but didn't race entirely kindly on Tuesday and will have to give the best three other pacers in the race a start on Sunday.
His best chance looks to be a hot pace but that scenario looks unlikely.
Flightpath showed great speed to sprint clear from the trail on Tuesday and could secure that sort of run again as he follows out the likely leader.
But with no passing lane he is still going to need a touch of luck. If he gets it he might be too fast.
McKendry realises he is facing a huge task with his other drive on Sunday, Belletti in the three-year-old fillies' pace.
The group one placegetter was a battling fifth after sitting parked in her semifinal on Tuesday and has drawn the outside of the front line in an imposing final.
"With Fleur De Lil and Miss Hazel drawn well and One Dream also in the race I think we might struggle.
"Our best chance would be if they go hard all the way because she [Belletti] is a good stayer."
The TAB will conduct fixed odds betting on all the finals.