Racing: Christen Me faces sterner-than-expected test

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Cran Dalgety's desire to make life a little tougher for Christen Me has received a surprise boost.

The Horse of the Year, a shock loser at Oamaru 10 days ago, faces a far tougher-than-expected assignment at Addington on Friday night.

Trainer Dalgety will start Christen Me in the $25,000 Avon City Ford Cup after he was initially going to let the pacing hero miss Friday's race and possibly have only two more starts before the NZ Cup at Addington on November 10.

Christen Me's defeat by stablemate Mighty Flying Mac last week and the fact he is now a 7-year-old, so may need more hard racing, have convinced Dalgety he will benefit from the bonus start.

"He is a little bigger than he was this time last year, but I am not panicking," he said.

"But I do think extra racing will help. So he can start this Friday and then again in two weeks and probably wrap his Cup prep up in the Flying Stakes at Ashburton [October 26]."

Dalgety says he has stepped up the $3 Cup favourite's work over the past week but has been careful not to over-react to his Oamaru defeat and flatten him. "He still has plenty of time to get back to his peak."

Dalgety is aware Christen Me needs to return to his winning ways to ensure he maintains the hard-earned respect of his rivals, often so valuable in tactical harness racing.

That is no certainty this Friday as Christen Me faces a capacity field and a wide second-line draw as he takes on the likes of Tiger Tara, Venus Serena and Choice Achiever as well as his last-start conqueror, Mighty Flying Mac.

While the best version of Christen Me would still win, if Dalgety has his fitness concerns then punters can expect bookies to be far more generous than the $1.15 they gave when Christen Me won at Addington two starts ago.

The road to the Cup becomes more serious in the north this week, too, with third favourite Sky Major beginning his campaign at the Pukekohe workouts today, the first of two this week before he resumes in the Spring Cup at Alexandra Park tomorrow week.

"He will have one serious hitout this week and one easier one but I am happy with where he is at," said trainer Barry Purdon.

Sky Major will clash with Ohoka Punter and Besotted next week after that pair quinellaed their comeback race at Alexandra Park last Friday.

The Auckland Trotting Club is keen to give the northern trainers of open class horses the chance to race them at least twice at home next month as part of their NZ Cup preparation so Alexandra Park fans can look forward to some rare pre-Cup week open class racing.

Christen Me's surprise appearance at Addington on Friday will be one-leg of a high-class double header for harness racing fans, with Cambridge also hosting an enticing Sires' Stakes heat earlier in the night.

Last Friday's impressive Alexandra Park winner, Shandale, will clash again with Art Form, Motown and Kimani, as well as stunning last-start winner Walkinshaw in one of the strongest Sires' Stakes heats carded in the north in recent seasons.