Racing: Besotted rushed down south for a reason

Besotted's biggest hurdle may be stepping quickly from the standing start. Photo / Christine Cornege

Anybody who saw Besotted's performance in the Breeders Crown at Melton three weeks ago will know he needs only to reproduce that to win tonight's Maurice Holmes Vase at Addington.

Trainer Ray Green is adamant his stable star is ready to do just that.

Green made the decision to rush Besotted south this week because tonight's 2600m standing start event gains the winner automatic entry into the $650,000 New Zealand Cup on November 12.

That would greatly aid Besotted's Cup claims, because, while he emerged as one of the up-and-comers of New Zealand pacing over the winter, he is still only assessed as a six-win horse, which doesn't help his Cup ranking.

He raced well above that level at the Breeders Crown, though, sitting parked before producing the performance of the day, just going down to Ideal Scott in the 4-year-old final.

Besotted backed that up with an effortless win at the Alexandra Park workouts last Saturday and he deserves favouritism tonight.

"I can't see why he wouldn't be as good this week as he was at the Crown," said Green.

"He did it pretty easy last Saturday and we are down here for one reason, to qualify for the Cup."

With such a huge edge in race fitness over key rivals, like Four Starzzz Flash, Choise Achiever and Franco Ledger, Besotted's biggest hurdle may be stepping quickly from the standing start. He won well from behind the tapes at Alexandra Park three starts ago but that was off a 20m handicap, which allows horses the room to move early.

Tonight, he faces a more compressed front line with less room to move but Green is confident that won't concern the 5-year-old.

"He is usually safe from a stand, so I'm not too worried about that."

Some of his key rivals tonight have major concerns, with Mach Banner only fair last start, Pemberton Shard off the unruly and Choise Achiever not having raced since January.

That leaves Four Starzzz Flash and Franco Ledger, who has a great fresh-up record, as the most likely dangers.

As good as the Maurice Holmes Vase field is, the best horse at Addington tonight races an hour earlier when incredible trotter Stig returns for his 11-year-old season.

Once retired for three years, he returned to win Trotter of the Year last season and comes in beautifully placed in the handicaps tonight.

He does however meet classy rivals The Fiery Ginga and Sovereignty with a serious disadvantage in fitness so it wouldn't surprise to see him beaten.