Racing: True grit needed for repeat

Monkey King beats Bettor's Strike and Smoken Up in last year's NZ Cup. The trio will clash again today. Photo / Simon Baker

Ricky May could have to revert to a trick so cunning it is not even in the rule book to help Monkey King defend his New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington today.

May has driven four New Zealand Cup winners but fears a poor beginning could cost our richest-ever pacer his chance today.

Monkey King has missed away in his past two races and in last week's Cup trial, with May adamant he can't afford to do so today as that would concede Stunin Cullen and Smoken Up too much of a start.

But the problem is the more trainer Brendon Hill schools Monkey King at standing starts, the worse the 8-year-old gets.

"I think at his age standing start practice just annoys him," says May.

But the Methven horseman has one trick left up his sleeve, the one he used to get Inky Lord away in the 1989 Cup which he won so spectacularly.

Before that race May placed a very small amount of grit in Inky Lord's mouth, which gave him something else to concentrate on before the start, keeping his mind off getting fractious and too keen.

"I have only done it six times in my career and every time the horse has gone away safely," May told the Herald.

"It is a really old horseman's trick and you never see it much these days, although I saw a driver do it at Kaikoura last week and the horse stepped, too.

"It might be hard to get away with these days but I might have to resort to that. It doesn't bother the horse, they just spit it out, but it takes their mind off the start."

As weird as that sounds, May is willing to try anything with Monkey King at the moment because the great pacer will need everything to go perfectly today.

The field is not as strong as the one he beat last year, but his more favoured rivals are drawn to race on the speed and Monkey King could struggle to get a competitive tow into the race.

And while nobody is saying it too loud, Monkey King is racing a length below last year's form.

"Maybe a length. He is still going well but he might be a little bit below last year," said May.

So much so that his stablemate Power Of Tara has performed not far below Monkey King this spring and he looms as the blowout horse today.

He has hit the line hard in all his starts this campaign and is a must for trifectas today.

May warns Stylish Monarch will be a big improver in the New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All today.

"He was cruising on the turn at Kaikoura last week but just blew out.

"But he will be a lot fitter for that and I think he is a very good trotter."

DEFENDING CHAMP

* Monkey King is looking for back-to-back New Zealand Cups today.

* His standing start manners have let him down this season.

* Driver Ricky May could have a cunning trick to solve that.

* Trainer Brendon Hill also has Power Of Tara in the Cup.