By MICHAEL GUERIN
He's back. Back to his unbelievable best. Ready for any challenge, any horse. Ready to embarrass those who dare to defy him.
No, not Christian Cullen. Okay, he is back too, as he proved by blasting around Moonee Valley on Saturday night in a near-replica of his Miracle Mile win last season.
It was the Cullen of old. He easily led from the ace, paced flawlessly and tore off a 27.6 second last 400m to beat Holmes D G by 10m. Like a champion should.
But while Cullen is back, Brian O'Meara is really back.
The Canterbury trainer has battled all season. Battled Christian Cullen's injuries, battled to find a balance between the champion's stud duties and getting him ready for the richest harness racing series ever run. And battled with his own doubts.
He had been worried over the past few months as Christian Cullen fought his host of off-track demons in the battle to regain his throne as the king of racing.
"There were times when I had my doubts he would come back with the problems he has had," said O'Meara yesterday.
"But he is back now, possibly better than ever."
Saturday night's Air New Zealand Mile was simply a lead-up to the real stuff, the Interdominions which start with the $A400,000 Hunter Cup this Saturday.
It is the first stop of the road to the $A1 million Grand Final on February 12. A road that leads through Holmes D G, Happy Asset and the best pacers in Australasia.
A road that also goes through Courage Under Fire. Remember him, six-time Derby winner, world record holder, unbeaten in 24 starts, the latest at Shepparton on Friday night.
Well, forget Courage Under Fire. He is a great horse but not great enough to beat Christian Cullen. That is the gospel according to Brian.
O'Meara is the ultimate confidence trainer. When things are going well, particularly with Christian Cullen, his trainer become a one-man nuclear arsenal of confidence. And the blast can be quite blinding.
Yesterday the target was Courage Under Fire.
O'Meara was not impressed by Courage Under Fire's demolition of his own 4-year-old, Cigar, at Shepparton, even though Cigar sat on the champ's back and never looked like troubling him.
"Courage Under Fire actually drifted in to the passing lane in the home straight at Shepparton and that forced Brian Gath to change ground with Cigar otherwise we would have gone close to beating him," said O'Meara.
So what if Christian Cullen had trailed Courage Under Fire like Cigar did last Friday?
"He would kill him," said O'Meara.
"If Cullen was towed into a race like that he would have pulled out and gone whoosh. He could have come out and run a closing 400m in 24 seconds or something.
"Cullen has the wood on these horses. Courage Under Fire is very good but Cullen has that little bit of extra class."
O'Meara and catch-driver Gath also believe they spotted weaknesses in Courage Under Fire at Shepparton - Gath stating the unbeaten pacer looked sore because he was running in during the home straight.
"I have seen one or two flaws in him which I think Cullen can take advantage of," added O'Meara.
The Courage Under Fire camp are living up to their name, preferring to let O'Meara fire the first salvoes.
All trainer Bruce Negus and driver Colin De Filippi will say on the record is they are happy with the 4-year-old freak at this stage.
No soreness, no weaknesses to be exploited. Just happy to keep winning and expecting to be ready for the first clash with Christian Cullen in the Victoria Cup on January 29.
But it doesn't take much listening between the lines to hear what they really think.
Both Negus and De Filippi take any doubts aired over Courage Under Fire's ability as personal insults. But they will do their talking on the track.
Negus did, however, voice doubts before the series that Christian Cullen would stand up to the rigours of a month under the Interdom blowtorch.
O'Meara is unfazed.
"His foot is near perfect and his tendon is not a problem," he says in reference to the injuries that have restricted Christian Cullen to two races in 10 months.
And then he is off again. Half time is over as O'Meara warms to his task again, analysing Saturday night's win.
"Ricky May said he paced as well as he ever has and said he only wanted to run about 1:58.
"Instead he went about 1:55 (1:55.9 to be exact) and he could have gone about three seconds faster."
That would have smashed the track record by over a second.
"But I am sure he will only get better with that run."
As for the Hunter Cup and giving away starts of up to 25m - no problem.
"I have always thought he was a better horse coming from behind and that is how he will be driven next week.
"Really you would think a horse couldn't win the Hunter Cup off 25m but maybe Cullen is just so special it doesn't matter."
Yes, they are back. Both horse and man.
And just in case you have any doubts, let O'Meara have the last word, this time on who is the biggest danger to Christian Cullen in the Hunter Cup.
"Cigar."
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