Racing: NSW iron horse promises duel

Jack Butler isn't sure he can win the Hunter Cup with Dinki Di but he is going to make sure whatever beats him has a hell of a headache come Monday morning.

Butler and Dinki Di have emerged as key players in the A$500,000 feature at Moonee Valley tomorrow, in which New Zealand's Howard Bromac is likely to start favourite.

After wins in the New Zealand Free-For-All and Auckland Cup as well as a fighting second in the Ballarat Cup, that favouritism is well deserved, particularly as some of his arch-rivals have concerns heading into the race.

But what is stopping Howard Bromac from dominating betting is his 10m handicap, especially as Moonee Valley has been a front runners' paradise in the last month.

Not only do Howard Bromac and the other three favoured runners off handicaps face the possibility of traffic problems, their drivers also have to figure out how get handy enough to even mount a challenge without firing all their bullets.

And that is where New South Wales driver Butler and Dinki Di start to loom into the Hunter Cup picture.

Dinki Di has been the iron horse of the Grand Circuit season, leading in group one races only to be run down late by glamour boys like Be Good Johnny and Slipnslide.

With those rivals off handicaps tomorrow, Butler is hoping he can again take the pacemaking role and then put as much of Moonee Valley as possible between himself and the stars.

"All season we have been getting beaten by a top horse sitting just off us and I have had a guts full of it," said Butler. "But this week is our chance. If I can get handy then maybe the top horses will be a fair way back.

"I am hoping that means we get to the last lap with some okay horses around us and the big names back in the field. If that happens we can win because the 3050m will suit my horse better than most of these.

"Either way, if one of those good horses can come wide and beat us they are going to have a hard race to do it because we won't be waiting for them."

While Dinki Di has been beaten in his last two starts, Butler says the tiny pacer will be better after some intensive farrier work this week.

"He has had a lot of hoof problems but they have been fixed up and he worked the best he has all season on Wednesday."

A true staying test like Butler is promising would suit Howard Bromac better than most of the favourites.

He has proven he loves hard distance racing and his trainer-driver, Kirk Larsen, is adamant the gelding has improved with his last-start Ballarat Cup second.

That makes him the best each-way bet, with Dinki Di the best saver.

There are plenty of other winning chances, though, with manners and luck two huge components.

Be Good Johnny may be the best horse in the race but faces an enormous task off his 20m handicap, especially as he hasn't raced since mid-December.

He has been trialling well but will need to be something special to win.

His stablemate Slipnslide was knocked out of the Ballarat Cup but has also trialled well since.

He has extreme speed and is another who can win if saved for one run, although there are slight doubts about his ability to handle a gutbusting 3050m.

Robin Hood has won a series of major Victorian Cups and is better suited to tomorrow's conditions than most, while About To Rock, Maheer Lord and Patumahoe pacer Winforu all have winning chances if things go their way.

Winforu was stunning winning the Moonee Valley Cup last Saturday in track record time but is off the unruly tomorrow, which reduces his hopes of finding his favoured pacemaking role.

If he did make a flyer and could settle handy he has a chance of emulating stablemate Elsu, who won this race in unforgettable fashion last season.