By MICHAEL GUERIN
Lyell Creek has finally scared them all away.
The champion has cast such a shadow over the major trotting races this season now even the best of his rivals are refusing to turn up.
The latest to run scared from the champ is Mountain Gold, who will now miss the Nights Of Glory carnival at Moonee Valley next month.
Trainer Barry Purdon has given Mountain Gold 10 days off after three gutsy seconds to Lyell Creek in his last four starts.
Those performances confirm the former Rowe Cup winner as the second-best trotter in New Zealand, allowing for Special Force still being on his way back from injury.
But Mountain Gold's form rejuvenation this season has not been enough to convince his owners to send him to Melbourne.
"He will have a small break and get ready for the Rowe Cup meeting instead," said Purdon.
Mountain Gold joins a distinguished list of elite trotters who will be dodging Lyell Creek in Melbourne.
The champ's own stablemate Take A Moment will miss the carnival, as will the Mark Purdon-trained Sundon's Way while southerner Sundowner Bay will also be missing.
Many trainers decided to bypass Melbourne and wait for the Brisbane Interdominions, which Lyell Creek was supposed to miss because of his Northern Hemisphere campaign.
But with Lyell Creek now staying for that series as well, those not heading to Melbourne could be missing a golden opportunity.
With Australia's best trotters second-class citizens, any decent open class New Zealand trotter would be second favourite for the carnival, which boosts two $A100,000 races.
The second best trotter in the series could win as much as $A50,000, which converts to more than the winning stake for New Zealand's richest two trots, the Dominion Handicap and Rowe Cup.
That is a lot of money just for being second best.
* * *
Even with only one race under his belt in two months Yulestar is favourite for the $A40,000 Ballarat Cup on Saturday night.
The 2680m mobile feature will be the first major pacing assignment for the Kiwi invaders on the Victorian riches over the next month.
Yulestar has drawn barrier five, one inside fellow New Zealand Cup winner Homin Hosed. Last-start Cambridge Flying Mile winner Ouch will start from the ace and will be followed out by former Auckland Cup winner Happy Asset. The field also contains Breeny's Fella, Safe And Sound and Lombo Rapida.
Ouch's stablemate Cigar races in a c6-7 race earlier in the programme, seeking some form to make next month's Hunter Cup field.
Stablemates Black Cam, a winner at the Pukekohe trials on Sunday, joined the Melbourne team yesterday along with 3-y-os Perfect Seelster and Rare Gem.
* * *
The most important clash of the Nights Of Glory carnival will take place in Melbourne tomorrow, without a horse in sight.
The board of Harness Racing Victoria will discuss whether security guards need to be placed on horses in the 48 hours leading up to races like the Victoria and Hunter Cups and Australasian Trotting Championships.
The HRV board is coming under pressure to use the security guards, who ensure no prohibited substances are administered to horses contesting the rich races.
Security guards are regularly used for the biggest Sydney races and may have contributed to some dramatic form reversals in recent years.
They were also in use before last Friday night's $A250,000 West Australian Cup, in which local Havago led throughout. Hot favourite Shakamaker was unplaced after having a good run.
The outcome of tomorrow's meeting could influence other Australian state harness racing boards, with high-level pressure now mounting to have security guards placed on horses before all Grand Circuit races.
That would be a huge victory for Kiwi trainers, if you know what I mean.
* * *
The honeymoon was over when Christian Cullen retired. Now the divorce has started to get nasty.
Trainer Brian O'Meara and owner Ian Dobson, who basked together in the reflected glory of Christian Cullen two years ago, now barely talk to each other.
Last month Dobson got his way when stable star Cigar was transferred from O'Meara to Mark Purdon.
And last week high-priced youngster Sergio Garcia left O'Meara bound for Robert Dunn's stable, where most of Dobson's horses are now trained.
"Ian wanted him to go, even though he has won two trials and finished second in the other," said O'Meara of the brother to Courage Under Fire.
"He is a nice horse but he is no Courage Under Fire."
The pair still share the ownership on Christian Cullen's half-brother Oscar De La Hoya , who O'Meara rates highly even though he has yet to show anything publicly.
But nobody can doubt O'Meara is a survivor.
Recently he convinced multi-millionaire Eric Watson to pay over $100,000 for the In The Pocket first foal of Kate's First, Christian Cullen's Auckland Cup winning half-sister.
And the foal is only two months old.
"He may only be two months old but he really looks outstanding and has that touch of class Cullen had," said O'Meara.
Some things just don't change.
Racing: Lyell scares rivals away from Melbourne
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.