Racing: Pompallier plays catch-up

Pompallier had two earlier wins in a row before a flat patch. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

The first concession in the battle to be New Zealand's best trotter has been made.

But Richard Brosnan could be forced to change his opinion after the $50,000 National Trot at Alexandra Park tomorrow.

Brosnan trains the north's best trotter Pompallier, who after two stunning wins in a row looked to have wrested the trotting crown off Allegro Agitato.

But the mare has fought back in the last fortnight, first with a crushing win in the Australian Trotting Grand Prix and then by outfinishing Iwi Alex and Pompallier over a mile at Cambridge last Saturday.

Brosnan says those two performances coupled with a flat patch from Pompallier mean Allegro Agitato stands atop of the trotting ranks.

"She has to be the best trotter in the country at the moment," said Brosnan.

"I think we are as good as her but she is racing that well and you can't argue with her two latest performances.

"So she is the one to beat this week."

The pair clash tomorrow in the $50,000 group one event and the 2700m mobile conditions suit Allegro Agitato, especially as she has drawn the front line.

That should ensure she settles a lot handier than Pompallier, who will follow out Hide In Your Shell from the second line.

Brosnan admits the task looks daunting and he is not sure Pompallier is 100 per cent up for tomorrow's challenge.

"He had a few days off after he won the Dominion Handicap last month and then he had a hard run when he won at his first start back," said Brosnan.

"The next start he got checked so I didn't get a chance to assess whether that hard run flattened him or not but I am thinking maybe it did."

Brosnan thought Pompallier's third to Allegro Agitato last Saturday after sitting parked was only adequate.

"He didn't race as well as he did in the Dominion so we have given him a freshen up this week to perk him up."

If that works then Brosnan has to hope for some early fireworks tomorrow to soften up the leaders.

"The draw doesn't look great but if they go hard it could be the best thing for us.

"We are going to be a little bit dictated to by what the horse in front of us does but a hot pace is what we really need."

That is possible as Iwi Alex showed blazing gate speed last Saturday and drawn wide again she could burn early to try and reach the lead again.

With other high speed trotters like Delft, Rosscoe and Prince Sundon also off the front line the race has the potential to be a scorcher.

Either way Allegro Agitato has to be the horse to beat.

She is trotting faultlessly at the moment and this is one of her few remaining chances for a visit to the winner's circle this season as she is running out of mobile start races and is a lunatic from a stand.

She in unlikely to be rushed early but should still settle handy and from there can control the fate of her key rivals.

The depth of the field means the race will provide place punters with a great chance at some value, but it is hard to see the winner not coming from the big two.