Tradition and innovation take centre stage over a huge next month of racing.
It starts with the wonderful NZ Cup Week in Christchurch, featuring two epic racedays on November 10 and 13, and rolls on to Menangle harness racing’s “Everest”, the $1.5 million TAB Eureka on November 21.
Australian interest will be as strong on both sides of the ditch.
If there was to be a traditional “Grand Slam” in harness racing, it would be the Inter Dominion, Hunter Cup, Miracle Mile and NZ Cup.
Leap To Fame has won two Inter Dominions, a Hunter Cup and two Miracle Miles, but finished second to Kingman last year at his only start in the great race.
Despite being a rising eight-year-old, this looks like his year.
While he was brave in defeat last year, many felt Leap To Fame wasn’t quite at his top – given the lofty standards he sets for himself – in Christchurch last year.
Judging by his four wins this campaign, the Queensland champ looks as good as ever.
Trainer-driver Grant Dixon has made NZ an absolute priority, scrapping a Victorian Cup raid in the build up to instead keep Leap To Fame at home as long as possible before he flies to NZ on Sunday.
Leap To Fame is the $1.70 favourite for the NZ Cup.
Defending champion Kingman looks to be back on target, but there’s some guessing in that because his past two wins have been eye-catching but off soft runs.
Whether he’s quite in the zone he was in last year is the big question.
Grand old stayer Swayzee and Minos will be the other Aussies in the Cup.
Swayzee, trying to win it for a third time after his 2023 and ’24 wins, showed glimpses of his best with a return to winning form, albeit against average opposition, at Menangle last Saturday night.
It was his first win since beating Leap To Fame in the Hunter Cup back in February.
Is the old boy still good enough, and sharp enough, to win a record-equaling third NZ Cup?
Minos would need to lift on his sound Victoria Cup run to trouble Leap To Fame in the NZ Cup, but trainer Jason Grimson insists he will be fitter and thrive over the grueling 3200m trip.
In the trotting ranks, Gus looks right on target to repeat his heroics from last year’s NZ Cup Week where he won the big Group 1 double, the Dominion and NZ Trotting free-for-all.
The times he ran and the way he did it to make light work of a 50m handicap at Albion Park last Saturday night was stunning.
There are no stars in NZ’s trotting ranks at present and the best of Gus will simply be too good.
Star Victorian mare Rockinwithattitude isn’t in the Gus class, but her last start run in the Bill Collins after making an uncharacteristic early gallop was fantastic.
She looks as good as any of the Kiwis that Gus will have to contend with.
It’s great Chris Svanosio has also made the decision to take his Inter Dominion runner-up Gotfeelingsyouknow. He’s building again at the right time, is a proven stayer and must be respected.
While NZ Cup Week is playing out, the jostling for slots in the TAB Eureka will be getting to the business end.
One of the great things about slot racing is the talk they stir about which horses will and won’t get slots in the build-up.
Horses like last Friday’s Group 2 WA 4YO Championship winner Mad Monday and Group 3 Kevin and Kay Seymour SA Pacing Cup winner The Last Trip are flying, but will they get slots?
It’s going to be a fascinating jigsaw puzzle as the TAB Eureka field comes together.
After the first running, many felt three-year-olds would struggle to beat the four-year-olds in the race.
Although that hasn’t happened yet, the mindset has changed.
Bay Of Biscay ran second at three in 2024, while three-year-olds Fox Dan, Hesitate and Go Miki ran second, third and fourth respectively last year.
Six of the 10 TAB Eureka runners were three last year and it looks like being at least the same in the new November 21 timeslot this year.
It’s a big contrast from just two in inaugural 2023 running when The Lost Storm ran seventh and Captain Hammerhead was ninth.
