Racing: Arden Rooney too strong

Arden Rooney holds off Franco Ledger to win the Kaikoura Cup yesterday. Photo / Gareth Murfitt

Kaikoura Cup winner will need a new driver when he lines up at Addington next week.

The Kaikoura Cup winner is going to need a new driver for next week's $700,000 New Zealand Trotting Cup.

Arden Rooney led throughout to win yesterday's Kaikoura feature, winning the race at the start when he crossed Franco Ledger, who trailed him and ran him close without ever looking likely to deny favourite punters, including the TAB fixed odds punters who plonked $10,000 on Arden Rooney.

Jimmy Johnstone was a brave third and will also take his place at Addington but the winner's stablemate Fly Like An Eagle dropped out to finish nearly 100m away and surely won't be asked to start in the Cup.

Even with him falling by the wayside, Arden Rooney will have a change of driver as yesterday's successful reinswoman, Natalie Rasmussen, is committed to Hands Christian.

Her training partner Mark Purdon will stick with Ashburton Flying Stakes winner Adore Me, with stable driver Tim Williams, former Purdon employee Blair Orange or maybe even New Zealand's most successful driver ever, Tony Herlihy, in the mix to partner Arden Rooney.

While he hasn't even graduated to open class yet - yesterday's win took Arden Rooney to a class nine assessment - he doesn't look the worst place chance in the Cup, although the TAB bookies still have him $26 to win.

Most of the Cup favourites, including Terror To Love and Christen Me, will have their final public hitout in the Cup trial at Addington tomorrow.

The draw for the Cup will also be made tomorrow, around noon, with NSW stars For A Reason and Seel N Print confirmed to take their place.

For A Reason pleased driver Luke McCarthy with a private workout on Saturday, which was all he needed to do to book his ticket on a plane for Thursday.

Seel N Print was third behind champion Beautide at Menangle on Saturday night and while trainer Todd McCarthy was disappointed he couldn't hold second, he says Addington is a definite.

"He will be better suited by the 3200m next Tuesday and likes regular, hard racing so he will improve," said Todd McCarthy, who is Luke's brother.

Their confirmed involvement has seen For A Reason shorten into $9 for the Cup, with Seel N Print at $41.

While nothing at Kaikoura yesterday changed the New Zealand Cup landscape greatly, the look of next week's main trot, The Dominion, was rocked for a number of reasons.

First, New Zealand's top trotting mare Habibti was pulled out of the race as she will miss the entire summer of racing with injury.

Then defending Dominion champ Master Lavros galloped early and late in the feature trot at Kaikoura, being disqualified from fourth behind Sheemon.

It was the third time in four starts this campaign that Master Lavros has galloped and he is out to $6 for the Dominion but should be longer, with Sheemon's outstanding win yesterday seeing him come into $5.50.

Stent, who missed yesterday after a brilliant win at Ashburton last Monday, remains the $3.30 favourite for the Dominion.

Yesterday's other feature, the PGG Wrightsons Pace, went to All Star Man, who came from well back to grab the win in the hands of Colin De Filippi.

Ready for NZ Cup
*Arden Rooney held his rivals at bay in Kaikoura feature.
*However the stable third-stringer will require a change of driver.
*Master Lavros disappointed in feature trot.