The biggest missing piece of the Summer of Glory is on its way.
And, excitingly, he will be here earlier than expected.
The Kiwis were such a crucial part of the Summer of Glory in its glory day of the 1990s and 2000s and now their best pacer is coming to add some serious Trans-Tasman flavour to the next month of racing.
Republican Party, who has gone from bit player to big gun in his homeland, was always coming for the $250,000 Group 1 Hunter Cup on February 14.
But now trainer Cran Dalgety confirmed the millionaire pacer would cross the ditch in time to tackle the $150,000 Group 1 Kilmore Cup on February 7 and then go on to the Hunter Cup.
The last time he was in Victoria, Republican Party ran a slashing and luckless third – beaten just over a metre – by Swayzee and Leap To Fame in last year’s Hunter Cup.
The performance became a springboard for a breakthrough season in 2025.
Republican Party raced 18 times last year for nine wins, two seconds, two thirds and put beyond any doubt he was the standout Kiwi pacer.
If you take away the races where Aussies beat him, he was only beaten four times for the year.
He successfully defended his Auckland and Invercargill Cup crowns, he won the Ashburton Flying Stakes, and other Group 1 wins came in the Messenger and Roy Purdon Memorial.
By last November, Dalgety and his son, Carter, believed Republican Party was ready to tackle the biggest Aussie dogs at their own game.
In a daring but understandable move given his lead-up form (and a query on Leap To Fame at the time), they opted to hold the front rather than take a sit on Leap To Fame in the NZ Cup.
The Aussies were too strong again with Kingman and Leap To Fame getting past him in the closing stages.
Republican Party did sit on Leap To Fame in the Group 1 NZ free-for-all three days later and got close, but had to be content with a three-quarter length second.
In retrospect, they may have been better taking a sit in a gruelling NZ Cup and holding the front in the shorter free-for-all?
As he’d largely done before the Aussies arrived at Addington, Republican Party resumed his dominance over his compatriots after NZ Cup Week with three starts for as many wins.
Dalgety was a tad deflated during Cup Week, but not enough to dodge another clash or clashes with the best Aussies, headed by Leap To Fame.
Hence this trip.
For all of his great deeds at home, Republican Party still has lots to prove in Australia.
His six starts here across two different trips have returned just one win, way back at his first Aussie runs in the Group 3 Hondo Grattan at Menangle on February 4, 2023.
He’s a much better, stronger and more seasoned horse. He showed it in last year’s Hunter Cup and his form says he’s better again since then.
Republican Party hasn’t been able to beat the Aussies at home, but what a special thing it would be if they did it on Aussie soil.
He’s got the right man in his corner with Dalgety, who has won a Hunter Cup with Christen Me (2014), but also four Victoria Cups with Desperate Comment (1996 and ’97), Bettors Strike (2009) and Christen Me (2015).
