By Michael Guerin
Shane Hayes could be excused for wishing Danny Campbell misses every plane from Christchurch to Auckland for the next two days.
Hayes has been the caretaker driver for Christian Cullen since the great horse arrived at his Kumeu stables to prepare for the Auckland Trotting Cup three weeks ago.
While Campbell will be the man in the sulky in tomorrow night's $200,000 classic at Alexandra Park, Hayes has been keeping the hot seat warm.
And it got pretty warm at Pukekohe yesterday as the southern wonder pacer roared through his final public appearance before the Cup like a concorde in hopples.
Christian Cullen came from last in the day's main heat to win untested, but it was his sectionals which saw his fixed odds price shorten to $1.45.
The 4-year-old paced a Pukekohe track best with his 55.3 second last 800m, his final 400 in 25.7.
"It was amazing. I have driven horses like Master Musician in fast work but this horse is in a different class," said Hayes.
Hayes said Christian Cullen simply cruised yesterday's workout, regardless of what the stopwatch said.
"It has been like another Christmas present getting to drive him at the workouts," said Hayes.
It was not the first time Hayes has been associated with Christian Cullen, having driven him to a stunning trials win at Alexandra Park last season before
his luckless Great Northern Derby defeat.
"This workout was probably even better than his workouts last season."
Hayes was also behind Christian Cullen's stablemate Cigar when he put on the fireworks in the class two and faster mobile heat yesterday.
Cigar waged a last 800m war with the in-form Just A Butler before drawing clear, pacing the 2500m mobile in 3:11, his final 800m in 56.2 seconds.
It was Cigar's second brilliant workout in three days, his efforts being behind some decent bets on him in the fixed odds for the Great Northern Derby on Thursday night.
Cigar is favourite in the fixed odds market which is effectively to see who runs second to Courage Under Fire, who is such a dominating favourite he has been excluded from the fixed odds market.
Horse Racing: Another blistering run from Cullen
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