Racing: Dark horse from Ruakaka

Winning the Summer Cup was a huge stride forward for Lord Vader. Picture / Dean Purcell

There are many different roads a horse can take to Auckland Cup glory - but none of them usually run through Ruakaka.

Which is just one reason why trainer Shane Hayes is refusing to even dream Lord Vader can win tomorrow's $250,000 classic at Alexandra Park.

Lord Vader has been the big improver in the northern open class ranks this year, developing from an unknown former Australian battler to what many rival drivers believe is the dark horse of this year's Cup.

They are only now starting to realise what Hayes has known for three years.

"He has always been a good horse. If it wasn't for my bad drive he would have gone close to winning the Victoria Derby," he explains.

That was in 2002 when Lord Vader was cruising on the back of eventual Derby winner, Kiwi pacer Bellas Boy, before Hayes let him hit that rivals' sulky wheel and gallop.

"He made ground well for fourth after that but that was our big chance."

That was the way it looked, anyway, as after his promising three-year-old season Lord Vader's form plateaued and he became just another small-time player on the vast stage of Australian harness racing.

Then Hayes decided it was time to move home to New Zealand and set up one of the stranger stables in operation.

Tired of the rush of fulltime training he moved his family to Mangawai Heads but decided to train from Ruakaka, better known as the home of Donna Logan's thoroughbred stables.

The only claim to fame for standardbreds trained in the area was that they usually go out paying more than $100.

"When I got here the track was in a pretty bad way but things have improved in the last two years," said Hayes, who now trains six horses.

That entails galloping and jogging on the beach before the finishing polish is put on the pacers on the rarely used Ruakaka trotting track.

"They let us on there after the gallopers have all worked but I love it.

"It is a big track and very soft because it is sand based so it is not hard on their legs."

Which suited Lord Vader just fine.

With clean air in his lungs and a training track padded by nature under his feet he started to feel, and race, like that high class three-year-old again.

Then Hayes pulled the masterstroke that has helped propel the gelding into tomorrow's Cup.

He sacked himself from the sulky.

"He was getting too cunning and stale for me.

"I couldn't get him to go away," said the 42-year-old.

David Butcher took the reins, Lord Vader started stepping away quickly and became a mid-winter star.

He has carried that form into the big time this summer, admittedly aided by the horror run of injuries to our leading pacers.

His last-start win in the Summer Cup made his rivals stand up and take notice, with the horsemen behind h him most of the favourites tomorrow, suggesting Lord Vader as one of the hardest to beat.

And Butcher, who has won the last two cups on champion pacer Elsu, agrees.

"David told me after the Summer Cup we are in with a royal chance providing he steps away as well as he did in the Summer Cup."

On that occasion he forged to the early lead and kept the tempo so hot the backmarkers had little chance to improve, let alone win.

That was a handicap race so his unruly starting position was almost irrelevant whereas tomorrow it means he has to give all the favourites a start, basically a 30m turnaround on the conditions of the Summer Cup.

That is one reason Hayes is not getting carried away.

"All along I have said I'd be happy if he can run in the first four and I am sticking to that.

"I haven't allowed myself to even dream we would win it because I have been in harness racing all my life and never even had a horse in the Auckland Cup.

"After growing up in Auckland this is my dream, to have a starter. The rest is all a bonus because it is fun just to be there."

Which leaves just one question: How do you get a pacer ready for one of the biggest races of the year when the nearest decent opposition is in a different postcode?

"He used to be all right just by himself but now things have started to get a bit serious I decided to get a galloping pacemaker for him," admits Hayes.

That might prove to the best money Hayes has ever spent.

* A Victorian punter will be sweating on Lord Vader's performance in tomorrow's great race.

The Victorian TAB took a large bet on the gelding last week to win February's Hunter Cup at $500, with the same punter going back for more at $200.

"If he goes good this week we are keen to head to Melbourne," said Hayes.