By Michael Guerin
The little fella with the big winning streak already has the Aussies running scared - again.
Even before Courage Under Fire flew out of Auckland last night Sydney bookies were planning how not to take any body-blows when he lines up at Harold Park on Friday night.
Courage Under Fire will have his first start since the New Zealand Derby in a preview of the New South Wales Derby.
He has already scared away Australia's best 3-year-old Shakamaker and with the Sydney 3-year-olds being a pretty average bunch Courage Under Fire is rated unbeatable.
And that has Sydney bookies keen to frame their markets with Courage Under Fire out of the betting.
To do that bookies have to apply to the chief steward but Harold Park officials have already resigned themselves to Courage Under Fire being out of the betting.
"In many ways that is better for the club," a Harold Park spokesman said yesterday.
"We can have some very good betting on the race with punters trying to pick the second horse and we still get a champion racing at our track.
"Even though great horses can stifle betting the racegoers deserve to see the best and that is why we are thrilled to have him here."
By being totally excluded from the betting Courage Under Fire will go one better than fellow southern champion Christian Cullen, who was excluded by only some bookies before he won the Trueur Memorial at Bankstown in December.
Trainer Bruce Negus was thrilled with Courage Under Fire before his Auckland departure but said Friday's race would be an ideal blowout to have his freak pacer spot-on for his fourth Derby a week later.
Proving he wins this Friday, the May 14 NSW Derby will be Courage Under Fire's chance to equal the 19 consecutive win New Zealand record for a racehorse of either code.
Relegation sets precedent
Regardless of what you thought of the decision to relegate Holmes D G from first in the Messenger last Friday night it has to set an interesting precedent.
Slight infringements of the push-out rule like that displayed by Barry Purdon at the 1600m point in the Messenger are commonplace at Alexandra Park and other New Zealand tracks.
With Holmes D G having now been relegated in such a high-profile race the pressure will be on future JCA panels to be consistent.
Harness racing officials have bent over backwards to install the dreaded passing lane on their tracks, often quoting the perception of the betting public as the main reason.
When a hot favourite in a major staying race is relegated for a minor incident a mile from home you have to wonder what that does for the perception of the betting public.
The owners of Holmes D G were keen to downplay the relegation yesterday, instead wanting to pass on their congratulations to Homin Hosed's owner-trainer Brian Macey.
But they were probably just being polite. The decision was a joke. The sort of joke that has serious punters laughing all the way to the casino.
The irony of the Messenger is Homin Hosed probably deserved to win.
His gutsy effort to sit parked in the terrible conditions was the run of the race and the victory bridged the gap to open class, taking pressure off Macey early next season as he chases the New Zealand Cup.
Homin Hosed should have more improvement in him than most of our leading pacers and his incredible stamina makes him the ideal type for the big cups - New Zealand, Auckland and Hunter.
Driver Todd Mitchell is adamant the 4-year-old has the speed to match the best open class horses but he hasn't learned to use it yet.
His arrival as an open class force could hardly have been better timed as the Waikato region has struggled for a pin-up pacer since the 4-year-old days of poor old Abdias.
Abdias once smashed the national mile record, beat Chokin and Franco Ice in a free-for-all and looked like he could have been the real deal.
Just weeks ago he was racing for $600 at a South Australian non-tote meeting.
Horse Racing: Aussie bookmakers showing little Courage Under Fire
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