Racing: Star has point to make

Bloodstock agent John Curtin has lost count of the number of New Zealand passports he has gone through roaming the Northern and Southern Hemispheres buying and selling standardbreds.

The spotlight has well and truly fallen on Curtin's latest dual hemisphere syndication venture - speed machine Auckland Reactor - who faces his moment of truth in tonight's $500,000 Miracle Mile at Menangle Park, Sydney.

Curtin has made a career out of achieving the unthinkable - like literally door knocking in the United States in a bid to buy a speedy 2-year-old called Mach Three - an outstanding age group performer in North America and now a proven shuttle stallion.

Curtin turned up on Mach Three's doorstep and bought the colt for prominent North American owner Joe Muscara.

Mach Three passed on many of his outstanding athletic qualities to his son, Auckland Reactor.

The 5-year-old must produce a commanding performance in Australasia's premier sprint to repair his reputation after a last-start failure in the (Group One) New Zealand Free-For-All in Christchurch.

Sure there were genuine excuses, including a stipendiary steward investigation into the driving tactics of Philip Butcher who savaged Auckland Reactor when sending forward Awesome Armbro to eye-ball the favourite.

Curtin believes that defeat has not damaged the potential stud career of the Mark Purdon and Grant Payne-trained star.

"Auckland Reactor's stud value here in New Zealand is beyond belief but it's really important that the horse produces a good display here in Australia to earn the respect of the Australian breeding industry," said Curtin.

"We've got to see this horse produce his best because there has been some questions asked after the Inter Dominion Final in Brisbane when he hit the sulky wheels with his hind legs and over-raced.

"There would be very few people in the world that have watched as much harness racing as I have from North America, Australia and New Zealand. When this horse is right and at the top of his game I would struggle to find a horse anywhere that can match this fella for speed."

Curtin is full of praise for several of Auckland Reactor's rivals tonight.

Blacks A Fake, Melpark Major and Smoken Up will ensure a hot pace is set in front. Fellow New Zealand-trained stars Monkey King and Kiwi Ingenuity are proven sprinters.

But the hot weather in Sydney over the past 48 hours will test the ability of the New Zealand-trained runners to cope. Curtin was certainly feeling the effects of the heat.

"I think I'm a pretty hardy campaigner but this weather has got the better of me and it must be affecting the horses.

"I've being on the phone to the staff looking after Auckland Reactor and they reckon he's coping but I can't handle it."

Curtin believes the ability of the drivers to judge the speed of the leaders will have a strong bearing on the result.

"Menangle is a 1400m track and not a lot of these horsemen have driven in a race of this calibre on a track this size. If they let the leaders get a cheap quarter in front it could prove the undoing of everyone."

Curtin says the tactics are up to champion catch-driver Tony Herlihy. However, if the race is run hard in front, the best horse would win.