KEY POINTS:
Steven Reid's New Zealand Cup assault suffered two setbacks but scored one victory yesterday.
Reid trains two of the favourites - Monkey King and Baileys Dream - in next Tuesday's $1.2 million cup at Addington but the pair had very different build-ups yesterday.
Baileys Dream may have suffered
a slight dent to his chances when he drew the second line, not ideal when Reid was hoping for a wide, front line draw.
To make matters worse, rival and cup favourite Changeover drew ideally at barrier three, enough to see him tighten into $2.50.
But while Baileys Dream drifted to $9 because of his second-line draw, Reid says it may not be a disaster.
"He is drawn to follow out Changeover or Tribute so I think it will work out all right."
Reid's good news came last night when Monkey King downed Auckland Reactor and Changeover in dazzling fashion in the cup trial at Addington.
After settling second last in the 2600m standing start event, Monkey King cruised up to take the lead with a lap to go and, surprisingly, easily held out Auckland Reactor, who was parked from the 800m after scrambling away from the start again.
Changeover finished well held in third place, but right on Monkey King's back.
While the overall time was only solid, Monkey King powered over the last 800m in 56.7 seconds, the final 400 in a rapid 26.3 on the cold night.
That left Reid thrilled by Monkey King's condition heading into the cup but there was still more drama to come.
Monkey King pulled a revolutionary new sulky in last night's trial, one especially commissioned by Reid and the top pacer's owner, Robert Famularo.
The sulky is like a cross between a conventional New Zealand sulky and the wider, lower carts used in North American harness racing.
Reid and Famularo had hoped to use the sulky in the cup but it was declared too wide by stewards last night and will not be approved for use in races here.
"I am disappointed about that because I would have loved to have used it," said Reid.
"But will it make the difference between winning and losing? I don't think so."
Monkey King moved into $4.50 from $5 after last night's win and now looks certain to start second favourite in the cup, with last night's non-competitors, Gotta Go Cullen ($7) and Awesome Armbro ($21) the noted drifters in the TAB's fixed-odds market.
Auckland Reactor's early gallop then struggle to get past Monkey King in last night's trial confirmed trainer Mark Purdon's decision to miss the cup in favour of a free-for-all next Tuesday in which he meets a sub-standard field.
Next Tuesday's other group one feature is the $200,000 Sires' Stakes Final and Stunin Cullen is likely to now start favourite after drawing barrier two.
That puts him inside key rival Highview Tommy, who will start from barrier five, while the latter's stablemates Eric's Legend, Mercurio and Sleepy Trip, all face second line draws.
CUP MOVES
* Monkey King tightens in the New Zealand Trotting Cup market after winning the cup trial last night.
* But his stablemate Baileys Dream has drifted to $9 after drawing the second line in the Addington classic.
* Changeover is now the $2.50 favourite for the cup.
* Stunin Cullen is set to start favourite in the $200,000 Sires' Stakes.