Old Town Road’s tilt at the IRT New Zealand Cup is back on track after a slick private workout at Addington on Friday morning.

The Cup third favourite missed the Cup trial on Wednesday as trainer John Dickie battled to get him over a skin infection but he is confident that is now behind him.

As bad barrier draws go this is as good as it gets for Akuta in Tuesday’s NZ$750,000 IRT New Zealand Cup at Addington.

The hot favourite will start from wide on the second in the 3200m, which hardly sounds ideal but co-trainer Nathan Purdon isn’t worried for two reasons.

The passing of the New Zealand Cup baton may be complete after 2000 winner Self Assured was ruled out of the race on Wednesday night.

Co-trainer Mark Purdon confirmed the $2million earner will not be starting in the IRT-sponsored Cup at Addington on November 14 after two lacklustre recent efforts.

 Two imposing victories less than 24 hours apart have left the New Zealand Trotting Cup feeling like a two-horse race.

Of course it isn’t. The $750,000 Cup at Addington on November 14 will probably have its usual 15 starters but punters may now only have eyes for two.

North Island of NZ pacer Old Town Road is good at something he probably has no right to be good at.

Whether that is enough to win today’s NZ$60,000 Alabar Kaikoura Cup could come down to the manners and tactics of his key rivals.

The Alabar Kaikoura Cup on Monday is shaping as the definitive New Zealand Cup lead-up in more ways than one.

Most of the realistic New Zealand Cup hopes for 15 days later will be in the Kaikoura feature over 2400m, the three most obvious absentees being B D Joe and the Australian stars Swayzee and Spirit Of St Louis.

Punters now know what trainer Mark Purdon has suspected for a while: New Zealand’s best pacer Akuta has gone to another level.

The four-year-old pacer is into $1.80 to win the IRT New Zealand Cup at Addington on November 14 after smashing his rivals in the Flying Stakes at Ashburton yesterday.

A young driver who sits just 42nd on the New Zealand premiership has been handed the hottest of hot seats at Ashburton today.

Olivia Thornley will partner three of the brightest stars trained by her bosses Mark and Nathan Purdon after Mark was suspended until New Zealand Cup eve.

Australasia’s first trotting slot race looks set to become reality with a NZ$655,000 feature planned for Cambridge next April.

Champion Mark Purdon is unusually excited about this weekend’s racing and not just because of the return of three of his pacing superstars on Friday night.

Trainer Steven Reid has come up with a simple plan to win tonight’s $110,000 Caduceus Club Classsic with Coastal Babe as Group 1 racing returns to Alexandra Park.

“I am going to give Matty (White, driver) the reins and tell him to do whatever he wants,” says Reid.

A moment of weakness could lead to a Group 3 win for Tony Herlihy at Addington on Thursday night.

For a horse staring down his shot at greatness, “podgy” will seem an unflattering description of Copy That ahead of his return to racing at Alexandra Park tonight.

Ben Hope is confident he has returned home at the right time.

One of the giant killers of Kiwi pacing is heading to Victoria to prepare for the New Zealand Cup.

The stars of the Hope racing stables are almost ready to return and that includes the youngest human one.

NZ training legend Graeme Rogerson may be planning a dual-code raid on Australian Group 1 riches this spring, but don’t expect his top harness horses to become best mates with galloping star Sharp N Smart.

A handicap race in the middle of winter may seem a strange assignment for one of the forgotten excitement machines of New Zealand racing to resume her career in but Aardie’s Express has simply run out of trial rivals to keep her ticking over.