Racing: Bookies horrified by huge plunge on Maheer Lord

MELBOURNE - When Maheer Lord arrived in Australia a few months ago almost nobody had heard of him.

Now Australia's biggest bookmakers are wishing they still hadn't.

The former South Auckland pacer has bookies shaking heading into Sunday's A$500,000 ($546,000) Hunter Cup at Moonee Valley after one of the bigger punting plunges on a harness race in Australia for years.

If Maheer Lord wins the 3050m race he will take at least $500,000 off bookmakers Australia-wide, and that is just in pre-post bets.

He was backed at odds as long as $150 six weeks ago but was a $10 chance with TAB Sportsbet yesterday.

Some of that is, of course, weight of money but he is also rated a genuine chance in the race after producing the staying performance of the season in the West Australia Cup at his last start.

The pocket-sized pacer sat parked and outstayed Western Australia's best to earn himself a guaranteed spot in Sunday's race.

Ironically Maheer Lord looked just the sort of horse to win a major staying cup three years ago when he was the early-season star of a magnificent 3-year-old crop.

Trained by Tony Herlihy, he won the Sires Stakes Final at Addington, beating among others champion pacer Elsu.

He even started favourite in Elsu's Great Northern Derby of that season.

In the second half of the season he lost his way and then struggled through his 4 and 5-year-old seasons, seeming to lose his speed.

Admittedly he picked a bad time to be a good horse, with harness racing in those two seasons dominated by Just An Excuse at Addington and Elsu anywhere else.

With future prospects not looking that bright in New Zealand he was sold to West Australian trainer Grant Williams this season.

Initially he looked just another open class journeyman in that state but he improved once acclimatised and Williams started to give him beach work, including riding him.

While West Australian form rarely carries over to the eastern states Maheer Lord does have the advantage of going into the race on the up, unlike many of his race rivals who are looking tired after hard racing during a punishing hot summer.

With his good standing and start manners all he needs is a safe beginning to test the favoured backmarkers.

While Maheer Lord is the bookies' nightmare, many of them are now warming to New Zealand's chances in the race, even though we are likely to have a far lighter than usual representation.

Only Howard Bromac and Winforu are guaranteed a start, with the word in Melbourne that Bob's Blue Boy could be listed as an emergency.

Howard Bromac, who was as long as $17 just 11 days ago, is now equal favourite with many bookies.

"He has to be a huge chance because even though he faces a handicap he is racing well and we all know he will handle the standing start," said Centreracing head bookmaker Christian Sawyer.

"Everybody was impressed with what they saw from him at Ballarat and he could even start favourite on the tote.

"Put it this way, a lot more bookies will be yelling for him than Maheer Lord.

"He [Maheer Lord] would really sting a lot of people."

The field for the Hunter Cup won't be finalised until this morning, with Harness Racing Victoria officials still confused yesterday over its exact make-up after several leading chances were dramatic failures in recent weeks.

One-time favourite for the race Blacks A Fake is almost certain to miss a start while heavily backed pacers such as Safari may also struggle to make the final cut.

Once the field is decided the barrier draw will be made at a function today at which the draw for Sunday's A$200,000 Interdominion Trotting Final will also be made.

Giant New Zealand trotter Delft has been the best backed in that field since Saturday and is now favourite for several big bookmaking firms, getting as short at $3.30.

PRAISE THE LORD

* Former Kiwi pacer Maheer Lord has been backed to win $500,000 in Sunday's Hunter Cup.

* The tiny pacer won the West Australia Cup last start.

* The field for the big race won't be decided until today.

* Delft is now the favourite for the A$200,000 Interdominion Trotting Final.