Racing: Lyell set to play second fiddle

By MICHAEL GUERIN

Any debate over who is New Zealand's best trotter was pummelled into the dust of the Ashburton trials track yesterday.

The day's 2400m trot trial brought together New Zealand's greatest-ever trotter, Lyell Creek, and his stablemate, Take A Moment, but what should have been the clash of legends was a mismatch.

The fitter, younger Take A Moment thrashed Lyell Creek by seven lengths after the pair matched strides entering the home straight.

Yet rather than be disappointed in the performance of Lyell Creek, who he part-owns, reinsman Anthony Butt was left staggered by the performance of Take A Moment.

"The way he is trotting at the moment is unbelievable," said Butt, who drove Take A Moment.

"He is better than last season and trotting every bit as good as Lyell ever did.

"The difference is that Take A Moment is better than he has ever been and Lyell is probably a year past his best."

While Lyell Creek is universally regarded at the best trotter bred in New Zealand after two years successfully racing the world's best trotters, he would need to return to that form to have a chance of downing Take A Moment any time soon.

Especially as Take A Moment yesterday trotted possibly the fastest final 400m ever in a New Zealand trial.

He was officially clocked at 26.1 seconds for his final 400m, although Butt was carrying a stopwatch and is adamant the real sectional time was sub 26 seconds.

Ashburton on a sunny day like yesterday, with a tailwind in the home straight, is as fast as a harness racing track gets in New Zealand but that sort of time is unheard of in this part of the world.

"He felt incredible. The way he is trotting now he could compete with the best in the world, and I don't say that lightly," said Butt.

Take A Moment faces a second-line draw in Monday's Ashburton Flying Mile yet Butt says if the pace is on throughout he can erase Lyell Creek's 1:55.6 national mile record from the books.

Lyell Creek will undoubtedly get fitter with more trials, with yesterday's outing his first public workout since winning his last Northern Hemisphere race in Canada in August, but there can be no doubt he is at least a length or two inferior to the Lyell Creek of 2000 and 2001.

He will trial again before clashing with Take A Moment in the New Zealand Free-For-All at Addington on November 14.

Yesterday's trial confirmed Butt's decision to driver Take A Moment in that race, with world champion Mark Jones to drive Lyell Creek.

That will mean Butt has to transfer his 25 per cent ownership of the gelding to his wife, Karen.

* The two rising stars of New Zealand harness racing could hardly have fared worse in the draw for Monday's Ashburton Flying Stakes.

The New Zealand Cup favourites will start from the second line, with Elsu (15) and Just An Excuse (16).

Their task has been made even harder by in-form southerners Jack Cade (3), Cool Hand Luke (6) and Young Rufus (11) all drawing the front line.

The TAB will open fixed odds betting on the race, which is the most important build-up to next month's New Zealand Cup.

The field for the Flying Stakes is: - Homin Hosed (1), Oyster Bay (2), City Rogue (3), Jack Cade (4), Eastwood Jaunty (5), Cool Hand Luke (6), Lee Robyn (7), Falcon Rise (8), Disprove (9), Gracious Knight (10), Young Rufus (11), Falconair (12), Village Chief (13), Sly Flyin (14), Elsu (15), Just An Excuse (16), Holmes D G (17), Panky's Pacer (18), Annie's Boy (Ur) fr. Emergencies: City Rogue, Falconair, Oyster Bay.