Racing: Aussie stars set to outshine NZ trotters

New Zealand's best trotters have been given the thumbs down by Australia's leading trainer heading into tonight's second round of the Interdominions.

While Kiwi trotters Delft and Prince Sundon won the opening rounds of the series at Ballarat last Saturday, champion Victorian trainer Peter Manning says the locals are the ones to beat tonight and in next Sunday's A$200,000 ($218,000) final.

And he is not alone, with bookmakers on both sides of the Tasman expecting the Australian stars to shine through tonight.

Manning trains outstanding gelding Sammy Do Good, who was a courageous fourth after being checked early in his heat last week then breaking briefly on the home bend.

"I think there is no doubt A Touch Of Flair is the horse to beat in the series and I think my fella is the next best chance," said Manning, who is anything but your typical one-eyed Aussie.

Manning has produced a seemingly endless line of stars from his famed Great Western training complex in the last decade, headlined by incredible trotting warrior Knight Pistol.

While Sammy Do Good is not in that class neither are his opposition, with the open class trotting ranks on both sides of the Tasman feeling the hangover from the retirement parties of Lyell Creek and Take A Moment.

Sammy Do Good has looked the toughest of them but seems to be consistently troubled by soreness which makes it hard for him to corner at full speed.

That troubled him again in the heat won by Prince Sundon last Saturday but Manning says it may not be as much a factor in tonight's first heat, in which he clashes with Prince Sundon, Genius and defending Interdom champ Play On.

"He does have problems on the bends sometimes but it is a lot worse when he is really tired," explains Manning.

"Last week he was checked early and then leaned on the home bend and that made him gallop but the good part was he came straight back down into a trot and finished on really well.

"This week he has more time to settle and with the extra distance I don't think the field will be so compact by the time they get to the home bend.

"If he has any luck he has to be the one to beat."

Both New Zealand's leading chances, Genius and Prince Sundon, will he disadvantaged by being placed on the unruly after holding up the start of their race last Saturday.

And the news got worse for Genius, with driver Anthony Butt revealing yesterday the gelding had not handled the bends well in final trackwork.

That makes him hard to support with any confidence tonight and Prince Sundon may be a better option, especially if he can begin well and race forward putting the pressure on the backmarkers.

Play On had excuses when beaten last week but does not look that well suited by tonight's race because he will almost certainly have to make a mid-race move.

With five scratchings from the series since last Saturday though, he probably only needs to finish in the top five to make the final.

The other heat brings together outstanding New Zealand reps Delft and Pompallier against series favourite A Touch Of Flair.

The latter deserves to be rated the most in-form in the series after a brave third to Prince Sundon last week when he was checked early.

If he has no bad luck tonight he will take a lot of beating because he is on his home track and set a track record here in the Dullard Cup in December after sitting parked.

His biggest problem would be if either Delft or Pompallier settled in front of him and was able to work to the lead, a very real possibility considering the form of most of the front markers.

Delft has the ability to match his massive frame but did not corner comfortably at Ballarat, raising concerns over how he will handle the tighter Moonee Valley bends.

He is, however, far better against the markers and trainer Michelle Wallis is adamant he will be fitter for last week's win.

Pompallier looked the big improver out of last week's heats when he peaked at the 100m and finished fifth.

He had been given an easy time in the lead-up to that and should have been more comfortable this week when the temperatures in Victoria came down from the sizzling 40C.

Look for him to finish in the money tonight and be the smokey heading into the final.