Racing: Bets taken on two horse race

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At first glance New Zealand's latest two-horse race looks like a mismatch.

But that won't stop TAB bookmakers providing betting on the otherwise non-tote event at Alexandra Park this Friday and they are tipping a potential upset.

The Australasian Breeders Crown heat for 2-year-old trotters has, like so many heats of the elite series, only attracted two starters so will be run as a non-tote race before the meeting proper starts.

But TAB bookmaker Steve Richardson is so intrigued by the clash of star juvenile Flying Isa and recent record-breaking debutant You Rock he will open a market on the event tomorrow.

Flying Isa will open as the $1.30 favourite for the race after storming through the juvenile feature races this season.

That will see You Rock at $3.25 even though he has only had one start for West Auckland trainer Ray Green.

Green's huge opinion of You Rock was confirmed when he ripped two seconds off the national juvenile trotting record for 2200m winning at Cambridge two starts ago.

"We knew before he went to Cambridge he was a smart horse and kept him very tight in the book for his debut," said Richardson. "And we liked what we saw there and that is why we think it is worth opening a market even though it is a non-tote race.

"And I am sure he will get support at $3.25."

The race will only be the second time in New Zealand harness racing history a two-horse non-tote race has been the subject of a TAB market, the other being when Changeover beat arch-rival Gotta Go Cullen in a Breeders Crown heat as a 3-year-old in 2007.

Meanwhile, the racing community was saddened yesterday by the death of Southland trainer Henry Skinner.

Skinner had success throughout the country with many great horses and died on Monday after a year of illness.

Skinner was best known in the past two decades as the trainer of Lento, No Return and Honkin Vision.