Racing: Mainland Banner chases Dad's legacy

Ricky May committed what many would regard as harness racing blasphemy last night - he dared to say a horse might be better than Christian Cullen.

But fans of the champion racehorse who has become our super sire can relax. May saved the compliment for Christian Cullen's greatest daughter Mainland Banner.

Mainland Banner ended any discussions over who would be New Zealand harness horse of the year when she led throughout to bolt away with the $100,000 Taylor Mile at Alexandra Park in 1:55.1, downing Baileys Dream and Hippity Hop.

Belying her lack of experience at leaving the mobile gate at speed she led easily and was never out of second gear, with driver May saying she could have paced much faster with some pressure.

"This mare could pace anything for a mile. I'd say she could pace 1:52," said May. "I think she must be one of the best horses in the world."

May also drove Christian Cullen late in his illustrious career and that great pacer is regarded by many experts as a modern-day Cardigan Bay, some even saying he is the best produced in New Zealand.

But May says Mainland Banner may have one thing her superstar Dad did not - great legs.

Christian Cullen was troubled by leg problems throughout his career and that stopped him becoming an open-class force for more than one season.

"This mare has it all, the gait, the speed, the stamina and no problems of any sort, so she potentially could be the best, even better than Cullen.

"She may not have the outright stunning speed he had but we don't know yet because she hasn't had the chance to sit off a really hot pace, come out and explode."

While beaten, Baileys Dream was fantastic in second and Hippity Hop continued trainer Geoff Small's fine recent record in the race with a fighting third.

Earlier in the night Houdini Star repaid the faith of trainer-driver John Hay 10-fold by leading throughout in the $60,000 Sires Stakes Trotters Championship.

The rangy 3-year-old suggested he may be the best of a very talented crop by holding out Awesome Imace, Mountbatten and arch-rival Galleons Assassin after being attacked several times in the running.

Houdini Star was only in the race after Hay decided to pay the late entry fee of $3500 when he won his Alexandra Park debut last Friday.

"It is always a tough decision to pay a fee like that for one race but this horse is worth it," said Hay.

"He had to be very good to win because they had a real look at him and 100m from home I thought he was going to get beaten.

"But he is a very good stayer."

Hay rates Houdini Star as potentially the best trotter he has trained, high praise considering the form of stable star Prince Sundon to win two feature trots and an Interdominion heat this summer.

Houdini Star may follow Prince Sundon's hoofprints to Australia in the winter to contest the A$50,000 ($60,000) Victoria Trotters Derby but before then will have to fight off the same talented trotters in next Friday's $50,000 Great Northern Trotting Derby.

Victory in that may give him an edge in his personal battle with Galleons Assassin for the 3-year-old trotter of the year honours.

The night's other age-group feature was won by Spicey, who won her way into the $100,000 Sires' Stakes Fillies Final next month by downing a gutsy One Dream in the heat last night.

It was the second win in five starts for the Christian Cullen half-sister to the forgotten horse of New Zealand open-class pacing, Sly Flyin.