While standardbreds tend to handle the long road transporter trip south and inter-island ferry better than thoroughbreds, the Auckland-Christchurch flights are far less disruptive to a horse’s training so have been immediately popular.
The trainers of those northern raiders arrived to plenty of good news, too, with many of the northerners securing good barrier draws.
Le Major’s chances in the $200,000 HM juvenile male pace has been boosted by him drawing barrier three (after emergencies) while All Stars favourites Vessem and Chase A Dream will start from wide on the second line.
Le Major has improved with every start this campaign and now looks a complete racehorse with the motor to match the southerners and gives trainer Arna Donnelly a shot at the richest win of her career.
Unbeaten juvenile trotter Paramount Kiwi, from Cambridge, will start from a perfect barrier two in the $75,000 HM Trot while Coastal Babe has drawn wide at seven in the juvenile fillies Millions, but with the gate speed to make her own luck, and both could win without surprising.
The most intriguing draw is in the Flying Stakes for three-year-old pacing boys in which Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming start from the second line but, and it is a big but, Merlin is drawn directly behind free-running stablemate Sooner The Better who starts from barrier one.
If Sooner The Better can hold the lead and keep running it raises the possibility of Merlin having the perfect trail throughout while Don’t Stop Dreaming could be forced to move mid-race and sit parked.
The draws are less relevant in the two open class races as they are both standing start handicaps but Muscle Mountain and Bolt For Brilliance will be standing alongside each other on the 20m backmark in what, quite remarkably, will be their first clash since May last year.
As stunning as Bolt For Brilliance was setting a national record at Alexandra Park in his comeback race last Friday, he hasn’t won a race in the South Island for two-and-half years, although the standing start conditions on Friday may suit him better than Muscle Mountain.
The combination of the draws and the convenience of the flight south will ensure northern-trained horses have realistic chances in all five black type races and the TAB bookies face a tricky task setting markets.
At a glance
Addington’s meeting on Friday is the strongest harness meeting of the year.
It sees a huge northern invasion, with 16 harness horses flying into Christchurch yesterday.
Favourable draws ensure the northerners will get their chance in all five black type races throughout the day.
