Some sparkling Saturday trackwork has convinced Auckland trainer Ray Green the Kiwi harness assault on the Queensland winter can kick off with a win today.
Superstars like Krug, Copy That and Auckland Cup winner Amazing Dream headline the New Zealand team for the winter carnival, which starts to get serious this week, but the first Kiwi reps will roll on to a slightly more sedate Albion Park in Brisbane today and both look well graded.
Tommy Lincoln drops out of open class racing and a sixth in the Jewels behind South Coast Arden in race six at 4.03pm while American Dealer makes his Australian debut in race nine at 5.52pm.
Both will be driven by local reinsman Mark Dux, with who Green has his team of four including Copy That, stabled.
“The two kicking off on Tuesday seem really well,” says Green. “Mark worked Tommy Lincoln on Saturday and he worked really well. Being a local Mark knows the form and he said he has to be hard to beat on that.”
At his best Tommy Lincoln has been competitive in open class races in New Zealand, even beating Copy That at Alexandra Park this season, and he is perfectly drawn at barrier two today over the 1660m.
Adding to his appeal was champion New South Wales driver Luke McCarthy suggesting on Sydney radio yesterday that key rival Ranger Bomb may be short of his best fresh up, so if Tommy Lincoln can lead as expected he is going to be hard to catch.
American Dealer raced slightly below his best when fifth in B D Joe’s three-year-old boy’s Jewels but his overall form during a gruelling season has been remarkably consistent at a much higher level that he races at tonight.
He has drawn the second line over 2138m and will have plenty of support, with Ilikemebettor the obvious danger after two Group 1 placings in Group 1 races at Menangle recently.
Krug will make his Australian debut in the $21,310 Redcliffe Derby on Saturday night, with trainer Cran Dalgety preferring that to a trial before he takes on the four-year-olds in Queensland’s newest Group 1 race, the $250,000 Rising Sun on July 10, a rare Group 1 in which elite three and four-year-old pacers clash.
Copy That will be also be in that Albion Park feature and will trial this Friday in preparation with Anthony Butt to drive him.
“Ants is keen to get a feel of him and he could even race in the Wondai’s Mate at Albion Park on Saturday week before the Rising Sun,” says Green.
One horse who won’t be making the trip to Queensland is South Coast Arden, who won the Jewels final that Copy That so expensively failed in.
His trainer Brent Mangos confirmed the four-year-old was in the paddock with the New Zealand Cup at Addington in November his main aim.
“We thought about Queensland but we didn’t think that style of racing was ideal for him at this stage,” said Mangos.
"So we can have a short break now and then be aimed at the New Zealand Cup and I am hoping I can keep him here in the north for lead-up racing at Alexandra Park.
“Hopefully the numbers will stack up and they get off the ground.”
South Coast Arden, the huge pacing improver over the autumn, is the TAB’s $6 third favourite for the New Zealand Cup behind the $3.50 joint favourites Copy That and Self Assured.