Racing: Kaikoura champ out for repeat

Kerryn Manning.

Australian raider Kerryn Manning is blunt about her plan to win the Kaikoura Cup with defending champ Arden Rooney today.

"We would like to lead and run them hard," says the Victorian star.

Manning is one of the most successful horsewomen of either code in the world, leading the way for female drivers in Australia and having won group ones in Scandinavia as well as both Addington and Alexandra Park.

But today will be her first visit to the annual Kaikoura meeting, where Arden Rooney won the $50,000 Cup last season for then trainers Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen before joining Manning's stable a month later. "I have seen the races there and the bends look flat and leaders hard to catch," said Manning.

"And that suits this horse, which is why he won the Cup last season.

"He likes to step and run and he has blinkers on now, I put them on two starts ago, to wake him up early.

"Outside of Mossdale Conner and Messini I would think the rest of these horses would hand up to us so I'll be looking for the lead.

"He has travelled well so he should have no excuses." Arden Rooney is the perfect Kaikoura horse and his last start win at Swan Hill showed he is returning to something like his Hunter Cup winning form of February so if he leads today only Messini or Mossdale Connor would appear to have the speed to trouble him.

Both are, like Arden Rooney, heading to next Tuesday's New Zealand Cup at Addington and after big recent runs are huge chances today as well as bolters hopes next week.

The Cup is one of three features today, with the standing start manners of Stent and Master Lavros likely to decide the main trot, with Stent having the barrier draw advantage.

The Sales Series Pace brings together some of the best up and comers from the north and the deep south and while standing start manners will again be crucial, the 10m start Express Stride gets over Risk suggests he should be favourite as both are open class horses in the making.