By Michael Guerin
MELBOURNE - The men behind Courage Under Fire are looking a gift horse in the mouth.
Trainer Bruce Negus and owner Greg Brodie decided months ago they wanted their superstar pacer to break Noodlum's New Zealand record of 15 consecutive wins.
The pocket rocket equalled the record with another effortless win in the Victoria Derby last Saturday night and his next win will confine the previous record to the history books.
But Negus and Brodie have turned down a chance to break the record this Saturday.
Courage Under Fire is eligible for a $A15,000 event at Moonee Valley restricted to 3-year-old pacers.
Considering the demolition job he has done on the Aussies in the past fortnight Harness Racing Victoria officials said yesterday if Courage Under Fire did start they would expect only two or three rivals.
And that would virtually gift the record to Courage Under Fire, who could stroll around and win untested.
But even though Courage Under Fire doesn't fly home until next Monday, Negus says he will bypass the potentially record-breaking event.
"We have wanted this record for quite a while now but we don't want to break it like that," Negus said yesterday.
"Noodlum's record is one of the great marks in harness racing and it would really be anti-climatic to break it in what is really a gift race."
Instead Courage Under Fire will have to wait until the first leg of the Triple Crown at Addington in March in which he will be at one of the most vulnerable stages of his career.
He will be on the way back up after the two week spell he starts today and will be racing New Zealand's best 3-year-olds, some of whom may have an edge on him in race fitness.
"I know it is going to be much harder if we try and break the record this way but I think it will be better for the whole industry," Negus said.
"And it would be great to break the record back at Addington in front of our home crowd."
Interest in the little champ has been stunning in Australia, where he has been the biggest story in racing even though the cream of the local galloping talent are starting to reappear after their summer breaks.
Gale warning for rivals
While Courage Under Fire will not be breaking any records this Saturday night, Helensville trainer Doug Gale hopes somebody does.
Gale is eagerly awaiting what could be the highlight of his career, with his outstanding mare Kate's First rated the biggest danger to Holmes D G in the $A400,000 Hunter Cup.
The mare comes in well under the handicapping conditions, gets to avoid most of the New Zealand stars who have beaten her in the feature races this season, and looks ideally placed over the 3280m.
And Gale says she is spot on. But there is another piece to be added to the puzzle.
"I know we can win this race but we need them to go hard up front, really hard," Gale said.
"If they go the first 800m from the stand in something like 59 seconds that will suit us and she could win.
"But if they go slow early we could be in trouble. I want them to break the track record because Kate has come through her Victoria Cup run well and she is ready for a big one."
Kate's First is the second favourite for the Hunter Cup, although Holmes D G is still a clear top pick, paying just $2.50 in the Australian fixed odds market yesterday.
Horse Racing: Negus not tempted by easy path to record
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