KEY POINTS:
TAB bookmakers are preparing to take an early hit on Changeover in New Zealand's richest ever harness race.
The northern pacer will open favourite for the $1.2 million New Zealand Trotting Cup, especially as no Australian pacers were among the entries which closed yesterday.
The Australians would love to be at Addington for the November 11 feature but the quarantine restrictions put in place after last year's equine influenza outbreak make that unworkable.
So New Zealand's best pacers have the race to themselves and northern pacers will dominate the first market, which is expected to open next Monday.
The first three favourites - Changeover, Monkey King and Gotta Go Cullen - are all northerners, while Baileys Dream and Awesome Armbro will also be high up in the market.
And while a lot can change in the next two and a half months, only Tribute and Report For Duty look serious winning chances from the south.
Aiding the northern assault is the commitment the connections of the north's famous five have made to racing at Alexandra Park in the Spring Cup on September 26 and the Kumeu Founders Cup on October 10.
That will rob their southern rivals of the highest class opposition until at least the Flying Stakes at Ashburton on Labour Day, meaning the northerners should have a more competitive build-up.
And further enhancing the northern cause will be the Cup's new free-for-all conditions, meaning Gotta Go Cullen gets a 10m handicap relief and Monkey King's troublesome standing start manners won't be aggravated by having a 10m barrier tape behind him.
But even with all this in the north's favour, TAB harness bookmaker Steve Richardson suggests Changeover could open as loose as $5.
"While we haven't done the market yet, I would say about $5 is right for Changeover because it is a long time before the race," said Richardson.
"I know we will get knocked over by people trying to back him at those odds but we think they are realistic."
While the lack of Australian entries for the cup was not surprising, it is a blow to New Zealand's first $1.2 million harness race, especially with the local open class pool so shallow.
Horses like Likmesiah, Roman Gladiator, Keeprightondreaming and Presido now get their chance at making the field instead of Australian stars like Blacks A Fake, Divisive, Safari and Smoken Up who would have injected much glamour.
Among the interesting entries are unbeaten intermediate grade pacer Ohoka Rebel, who faces his toughest test at Addington on Friday night, and Retail Therapy And Zenad, who has starred in far weaker company at Alexandra Park over the winter and headlines the $20,000 Cambridge Cup tomorrow night.
Surprisingly, the most dominant pacer to have raced this winter, veteran London Legend, is not nominated.
Myron, the one-time serious Cup contender who returned from a 2-year-old injury break at the Alexandra Park workouts yesterday, is also missing from the nominations.
