Racing: Smiling Shard likes being close to crowd

Smiling Shard. Photo / Richard Robinson

Smiling Shard is looking to defend his Kaikoura Cup title today.

The $50,000 race is the final lead-up to next week's New Zealand Trotting Cup.

Champion driver Dexter Dunn days the unique Kaikoura experience suits Smiling Shard.

Smiling Shard loves the thing most horses hate about Kaikoura.

And that could help him defend his Kaikoura Cup title today on his way to next week's New Zealand Cup.

The South Bay race meeting is a unique New Zealand racing experience, with the very flat track bordering on the Pacific and the course having no grandstand, meaning the public literally stand alongside the horses, inside and outside the track.

That can upset those who haven't raced there before but champion driver Dexter Dunn says the claustrophobic atmosphere actually helps Smiling Shard, who will start favourite in today's $50,000 feature.

"He is a funny horse like that, he loves the big occasion," says Dunn.

"He likes the crowd and all the buzz and it really gets him up on his toes and he feels ready to go. So I think it is a good thing for us and makes him the one to beat."

Dunn's opinion is hard to argue with, as not only did Smiling Shard win last year's Kaikoura Cup but has won a Harness Jewels and Australasian Breeders Crown, two of the other biggest crowd days in Australasian harness racing. Not that he will need much of a boost today as he has already been one of the form pacers of the open-class season.

He has finished second to Auckland Reactor and Terror To Love in his two starts this term and Dunn is adamant he should have won the latter. "It was a bad drive, I went too early and got trapped wide.

"But he is all good for this week and I think it will take a good horse to beat him."

Aided by barrier three and taking on mainly the second-string New Zealand Cup contenders, Smiling Shard would be value at anything above $3 today.

An interesting newcomer is former Australian pacer Sammy Maguire, who overcame a 30m backmark to win at Ashburton last Monday in his first start for new trainer Mark Purdon.

He is high class and could sneak into New Zealand Cup contention if he was able to down Smiling Shard today.

The Cup could even be upstaged as the highlight, with the open-class trot bringing together a hotter field.

Interdominion champion I Can Doosit disappointed when fresh-up at Ashburton last Monday and will need to be good to bounce back as he meets serious rivals in Stylish Monarch, Sovereignty and Musgrove.

I Can Doosit is not ideally drawn at barrier one and if any of that rival trio can lead they will take catching.

Sovereignty wasn't at his best when beaten at Alexandra Park last start but trainer Sean McCaffrey is confident a shoeing change will see him bounce back and he finished second in this race two years ago.

The other highlight of the day is a cracking contest in the Sales Series Pace, which is crammed with so much form talented northerners Statesman, Charge Forward and Our Boy Su should get to backable odds.