Racing: Reid hopeful change of shoeing will help Gold Ace return to form

Gold Ace will clash another former topliner Auckland Reactor in the Hunter Cup at Melton on Saturday night. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Gold Ace has gone from being the $1.3 million horse to the $20 chance in just one week.

But if his co-owner and trainer Steven Reid is worried he isn't letting it show.

Last season's champion 3-year-old is remarkably rated a $20 outsider in Saturday night's A$425,000 Hunter Cup at Melton.

That just two starts after he won the Golden Nugget in Perth and was the subject of a A$1 million offer from leading trainer Gary Hall, who said Gold Ace is potentially the best pacer in Australasia.

Which is not a bad wrap considering Hall trains Auckland Cup and Interdominion champion I'm Themightyquinn.

And Hall could be on the mark, as Gold Ace dominated Terror To Love last season and the latter has since downed Smoken Up in the New Zealand Cup.

So how does Gold Ace go from being glamour boy to a outsider in a weakish Hunter Cup in the space of one week?

Last Saturday's epic flop in the Ballarat Cup helped, as too did his failure in last season's Victoria Derby.

Gold Ace arrived in Victoria this time last year on a winning rampage, won his Derby heat but raced below his best in the Derby and finished fifth to the new wonder horse of Australian pacing Sushi Sushi.

While Gold Ace bounced back to win the NZ Derby and Harness Jewels, to Victorian punters he still had plenty to prove and he did anything but that last Saturday night.

He settled back and stayed back in last Saturday's Ballarat Cup, leaving Victorian punters now with two crosses next to Gold Ace's name.

Initially Reid was perplexed by the defeat but now the normally hyper-active Pukekohe trainer has adopted a zen-like calm a monk would be proud of.

"I think the problem was his shoes last week," Reid told the Herald.

"He had had flip-flops on since getting back from Perth because he had a quarter crack.

"But we re-shod him last week and went to aluminium shoes and I think they pinched him during the race.

"So we have gone back to the flip-flops and we will see what happens.

"But I am very relaxed about it. I know how good he is and if he doesn't show that this week then I will take him home, give him a short break and start again. There is no point panicking."

Reid's relaxed attitude was extended even further when Gold Ace drew the second line, effectively negating any head start he was going to get from hot favourite Auckland Reactor on Saturday night.

All of a sudden, the Hunter Cup has gone from being a masterstroke of programming to a near mission impossible for the 4-year-old stallion.

But all hope is not lost because Saturday's race is primed for an upset, with almost every other runner having reasons for a case to be made against them either because of form, stamina concerns or overall class.

At least Gold Ace's only question comes in the form department, not the latter two categories.

Auckland Reactor was the $2.40 favourite for the Hunter in Australia last night, which although very short could be matched by the tote dividend such is the punter awareness of the Kiwi star.

Two years ago his connections declared he would never start in another standing start race and he was sent to Australia and then the United States to get away from that style of racing.

Now, after that failed US campaign, a throat operation and stalled stallion career, Auckland Reactor finds himself one of the hottest Hunter Cup favourites in a decade.

And maybe that is another reason Reid is feeling so calm about Gold Ace this week. Because Auckland Reactor is living proof that form is temporary while class is forever.

STRUGGLING ACE

* New Zealand pacer Gold Ace is out of favour for Saturday night's A$425,000 Hunter Cup.
* This from the horse who was the subject of a $1.3 million offer two starts ago.
* Trainer Steven Reid is relaxed about his Hunter Cup chances.
* The four-year-old will have a shoeing change this week.