Racing: Luke's form the mystery of Auckland Trotting Cup

By MICHAEL GUERIN


All that Cool Hand Luke has to do to win tomorrow night's Auckland Trotting Cup is be himself.

But that is the problem - even those close to the veteran pacer don't know whether he can do it.

Cool Hand Luke will be the third-favourite for the $250,000 feature at Alexandra Park and, on paper, the race could not have panned out better for him.

He has drawn barrier one, while favourite Elsu has drawn the inside of the second line, second-favourite Just An Excuse has to start off a 10m handicap, and New Zealand's other leading pacer, Jack Cade, has been scratched after fracturing a bone in his leg.

With Cool Hand Luke clearly rated one of the four best pacers in the country, this looks like his chance to put years of bad luck behind him.

But there is one small problem - Luke had the worst race of his career last start. The gelding settled last in the Summer Cup on December 19 and barely passed a runner, disappointing trainer Brent Lilley and driver Anthony Butt.

It was only the third time in three years that Luke has failed to pay a dividend.

"The race wasn't run to suit him and we knew a long way from home he couldn't win but he was still disappointing," said Lilley.

"I really don't know why. His work before the race was good and he was fit enough to win.

"I had him checked out after the race and his white blood-cell count was slightly off, but nothing serious.

"All I can really do is put it down to being one of those runs, although I know that isn't very helpful to anybody."

Lilley is not letting the Summer Cup shocker bother him too much, instead focusing on Cool Hand Luke's fourth in the New Zealand Cup.

"His run that day was every bit as good as the three who beat him home, and if he went that good again here he could win.

"In that form, with the advantage he has over Elsu and Just An Excuse, he would only need to get handy or lead and they would struggle to catch him.

"So we just have to try and put that last-start failure behind us and look forward."

Cool Hand Luke is a $6.50 chance in the latest fixed-odds markets but would have been 1000-1 to even make this field a year ago.

Back then Luke was a reluctant retiree from co-owner Mark Purdon's stable, having lost the latest round in his career-long battle with dodgy legs.

Lilley suggested his beach training methods might be able to resurrect Cool Hand Luke's career and the pair started the long path back to open-class glory, a path that included many cold winter morning on a North Canterbury beach.

"That has been the key for him, the beach training, and these days I am not worried about his soundness at all.

"It has been great to have a horse like him in the stable, and to have a shot at winning the Auckland Cup after all he has been through, it is remarkable."

Ironically, Lilley was given even more motivation to win tomorrow night's 3200m race when Jack Cade was scratched on Saturday.

That was a heartbreaker for Purdon, Jack Cade's trainer, but he still has a shot at winning the cup because of his part-ownership of Cool Hand Luke.

"Training a horse for a guy like Mark Purdon is something to be proud of," said Lilley. "I'd love to win the race for him after some of the bad luck he has had this year."

Lilley has been robbed of his second-string chance in the race, with Jagged Account also scratched after suffering a slight injury.

Jack Cade's scratching has seen Elsu shorten to $2.65 favouritism for the cup, even from his second-line draw. Just An Excuse is at $3.75.

Cool Hand Luke is the only other starter under double figures.

Trotting Cup

* The $250,000 Auckland Trotting Cup will be run at Alexandra Park tomorrow night.

* Cool Hand Luke will be the third-favourite even after a career-worst performance in his last start, the Summer Cup.

* Trainer Brent Lilley says that failure remains a mystery to him.

* Elsu is the $2.65 favourite, ahead of Just An Excuse at $3.75.