Racing: Arden Rooney up to class

Franco Ledger will be a leading each-way chance for the Kaikoura Gold Cup today.Picture / Otago Daily Times

Arden Rooney may not have open-class form but the man who knows best says he is a genuine topliner.

That is unless you want to argue with champion trainer Mark Purdon, who takes the 5-year-old to the Kaikoura Cup today.

Arden Rooney is returning to the track where he won the strong Sales Series Pace last season during an excellent campaign which saw him placed behind some of our beat pacers without claiming the major scalps.

However, Purdon, who has trained six Kaikoura Cup winners, has no doubts Arden Rooney is not only a genuine open classer but also deserves his shot at the New Zealand Cup next week.

"He may still only be a C8 horses but he pushed horses like Terror To Love, Franco Ledger and Adore Me in good races last season and he was only four then," he told the Herald.

"He has improved since then and he will be a Cups' horses, especially in a race like this at this stage of his career, when the really big names aren't there.

"It looks the perfect race for him - he is good from a stand, has won on the track and he is a real stayer."

So Purdon rates Arden Rooney a better hope today than his defending champion Fly Like An Eagle, who was disappointing at Ashburton last Monday and is not suited by a second-line draw. He needs a good run to seal his place in next week's New Zealand Cup.

Arden Rooney will almost certainly start favourite but there will be plenty of justified support for Franco Ledger.

While officially still trained by Hamish Hunter he has been in the care of Colin and Julie De Filippi, hence why he has been racing more regularly in Canterbury on this Cup campaign.

He made some ground in a 26-second last 400m in the Flying Stakes last Monday but more importantly is usually very fast away so will likely give De Filippi the option to trail who he likes in the race.

If that scenario eventuates he will be hard to beat.

Jimmy Johnstone is another good beginner but he faces a wide draw, which could negate his chances of getting to the lead, and as a giant he may not be suited by coming wide on the flat Kaikoura track. The Cup is no longer the sole highlight at the famous annual Kaikoura meeting, which celebrates its centenary today, with the Sales Series Pace again strong, while the open trot gives Master Lavros another chance at redemption after a poor start to the season.

The Trotter of the Year has been up to his old tricks of either galloping early or trotting roughly late but has been kept for today's standing start to help his mental preparation for next week's Dominion Hcp.

With his defence of that title only 11 days away he needs to start getting things right and with today's race minus many of his key rivals he should win. Sheemon looks the logical danger even after his rare gallop at Ashburton last Monday.