Racing: Monkey can lead 'em home

Monkey King gets excited about winning the NZ Trotting Cup on Tuesday. Photo / Simon Baker

Brendon Hill only has to think back to an Interdominion heat at Newcastle eight months ago to go into today's $200,000 New Zealand Free-For-All bursting with confidence.

You could be excused for thinking he has every right to do so regardless after the way his heroic little pacer Monkey King won his second New Zealand Trotting Cup on Tuesday.

Racing almost the same opposition today, Monkey King will start a warm favourite from barrier three but the 2000m mobile event is a far different contest to the 3200m war on Tuesday, placing a greater premium on gate speed and the field position options that allows.

In this country Monkey King has never been known as a fast beginner from behind the mobile but he developed that surprising new weapon racing in Australia last season.

He showed blistering gate speed in two heats of that series, especially one at Newcastle and decent gate speed in Australia translates as very high acceleration in New Zealand, particularly in the South Island.

"I think anybody who saw him get off the gate during the Interdoms will now know he is as fast as any of the good horses at it," said Hill.

"I think we have a good chance of leading and obviously that would be the place to be."

That is an understatement for if Monkey King leads without difficulty today it would be impossible to see him beaten, especially as he has come through Tuesday's hard run perfectly.

"He and Power Of Tara [stablemate] both copped the run no problem and they will be spot on for Friday," confirmed Hill. "They are older horses now and that sort of thing doesn't bother them."

Power Of Tara's fourth in the Cup was exceptional but today's race doesn't suit him as well so the dangers to Monkey King look to be Smiling Shard, Smoken Up and possibly Bondy.

Bondy started from the second line and was a strong sixth in the Cup but is one of the fastest beginners in New Zealand from behind the mobile and could be the first leader, giving him a great trifecta chance.

Smoken Up has drawn behind Monkey King so will get the chance to follow him forward and expect him to be close to the speed with 1000m to run, with his relentless racing style having proven well suited to mile racing in the past.

Smiling Shard steps up against the open class superstars for the first time but the way he beat Highview Tommy and Sleepy Tripp in the Kaikoura Cup suggests he will not be out of his depth.

From barrier two and with fresher legs than his older opponents he gets his chance but he will need to produce a career-best performance to win.

Sleepy Tripp was another to emerge from the Cup with plenty of credit but has drawn wide over a distance short of his best.

KING OF GATE SPEED
* Monkey King will start favourite in the $200,000 New Zealand Free-For-All at Addington today.

* He has recovered well from his hard run in winning Tuesday's New Zealand Trotting Cup.

* His trainer Brendon Hill says Monkey King has the gate speed to use his handy barrier today.

* The $200,000 Dominion Handicap is the group one feature today.