New Zealand harness racing’s Group1 drought in Sydney has moved a little closer to ending after Alta Meteor drew perfectly for the A$200,000 NSW Derby at Menangle on Saturday.
The South Auckland pacer won his heat of the Derby at Menangle last Saturday and will start from barrier two in a very open classic over the punishing 2400m mobile on the giant track outside Sydney.
Trained by the Telfer/Cullen stable, Alta Meteor isn’t the best three-year-old pacer in New Zealand but has picked the right Derby to aim at, with neither Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming in Sydney or the three-year-old stars of the all-conquering Emma Stewart stable from Victoria.
“It looks like we have come for the right race but these big Menangle races are very hard to win,” says Telfer.
The Telfer/Cullen stable lined up Kahlua Flybye as favourite in the NSW Oaks last Saturday only for her to drop out after leading. “I think she burnt too much early on a fast lead time and that was that,” says Telfer.