Auckland Cup night has lost one champ but gained another.
Auckland racing's biggest night of the year on December 15 will be missing Interdominion champion Shakamaker, who will bypass the Sky City Auckland Trotting Cup after finishing out of the money for the first time in his career in last Friday's Miracle Mile.
Trainer John Justice said Shakamaker took some buffeting during a duel with Courage Under Fire and would need a week off to recover.
"He hasn't come through the race that well so we will have to miss Auckland, which is a shame because we really wanted to go," said Justice.
"It looks like it will be a great race and a strong field."
Justice was less than impressed with the driving tactics of Brian Hancock behind Courage Under Fire after the pair locked wheels down the back straight and generally got in each other's way over the last lap.
"Brian should keep those sort of drives for the maiden races at Bulli," said Justice.
The war of words between the two leading horsemen may add even more heat to an intense grand circuit, with Justice declaring he would now like to take Shakamaker wherever Courage Under Fire goes, obviously looking for some revenge.
Hancock is still struggling to pinpoint the reason for Courage Under Fire's pathetic effort in the Miracle Mile and says a decision on the fallen idol's chances of returning to Auckland for the cup will be made after Saturday's $A100,000 Trueur Memorial at Bankstown.
Even without the Aussie pair the Auckland Cup is one of the strongest in years, with New Zealand Cup winner Yulestar joined by Miracle Mile winner Holmes D G, defending cup champion Happy Asset and NZ Free-For-All winner Agua Caliente.
* * *
While Shakamaker will miss the Auckland Cup the night has been boosted by the addition of harness racing's brightest star Lyell Creek.
A change of racing programme means the champion trotter will contest a discretionary handicap at Alexandra Park on December 15.
Lyell Creek was to have raced next in the $50,000 Gibson And O'Connor National Trot on December 22 but his shock defeat at Addington two starts ago has brought about a change of plans.
"Tim [trainer Tim Butt] and I think he races best on a busy programme," said owner Graham Bruton yesterday.
"That could be one of the reasons he choked and was beaten at Addington on Show Day, because he hadn't raced for three weeks.
"Tim now regrets we didn't race him at Addington on cup day so we will keep him busy by starting him at Auckland on cup night."
Lyell Creek bounced back from his Show Day defeat to easily overcome the backmark in last Friday's $100,000 Dominion Handicap.
Bruton said Cambridge will also benefit from Lyell Creek's busier programme.
"All going well he will also race at Cambridge twice in January before heading to Melbourne in February."
* * *
One open class regular who won't be in the Auckland Cup is Kilklite.
The Irvin and Warwick Behrns-trained mare has been retired after an injury she suffered when galloping in the New Zealand Cup.
Kliklite carried good age group form through to open class and was unlucky not to win more races in the elite grade, having struck a vintage era racing the likes of Christian Cullen, Holmes D G and Yulestar.
* * *
On the subject on vintage eras, a hero of one of harness racing's greatest crops was destroyed last week.
The Bru Czar won a stunning 1990 Auckland Cup during a 4-year-old season in which he and arch-rivals Christopher Vance, Franco Ice and Mark Hanover dominated pacing and smashed almost every national record. The Bru Czar was put down after a paddock accident in Taranaki, where he was standing at stud.
Racing: Aussie hero forcedout of cup but trot champ doubles up
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.