Racing: Reid dreams of upsetting star mare's Cup bid

Monkey King (left) won the Great Northern Derby in December

A midfield finish at the workouts isn't the sort of performance that would inspire most trainers to believe they could beat Mainland Banner in the Auckland Cup in 10 days.

But it was enough for Steven Reid.

The Pukekohe horseman left Alexandra Park yesterday convinced Baileys Dream only has to maintain his form to have a huge chance of winning the $300,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup on Friday week.

Baileys Dream finished closer to last than first in the 2700m workout won by Alta Serena, who overcame a 50m handicap to confirm her place as the second favourite for the cup.

Baileys Dream missed away after being startled by the standing start tapes hitting the outside fence and was driven quietly afterwards but still impressed his trainer, who was having a rare outing in the sulky.

"He felt great and when he feels like this I think he is as good as any of them." said Reid.

"I rang Todd [Mitchell, regular driver] on the way home and told him not to think for a second we can't win the cup because we can.

"The main thing now is keeping him fit and happy until the race."

Baileys Dream is rated an $11 chance in the opening market for the cup, with Alta Serena shortening from $4.50 to $4 after yesterday's workout win.

Mainland Banner, who makes her Alexandra Park debut on Friday night, is the $2.75 favourite.

Baileys Dream wasn't the only reason Reid had to smile as he left Alexandra Park yesterday, with Great Northern Derby winner Monkey King showing he was back to his best with a smoking win.

He paced his last 800m in 56.7 seconds to win easily, allaying fears Reid had after the gelding returned a poor blood test on Monday.

"I was using this workout as a trial to see whether he will start on Friday night and I think he will now," said Reid.

"He went huge and if it wasn't for that blood test on Monday I'd be fizzing."

Monkey King is using Friday's race as a build-up to next Friday's $50,000 Elsu Classic, which could then lead to a Tasmanian campaign.

"There are two derbies in a week in Tasmania, one for A$100,000 and the other for A$75,000, which looks a better option than going to Addington for one derby there where you have to take on Jays Debut and Pay Me Christian."

Ambro The Thug, who finished second to Monkey King in the Great Northern Derby, finished third in yesterday's workout in the colours of new trainer Tony Herlihy.

Herlihy was given the gelding to train after he was taken away from former trainer Geoff Small, who only managed to win $148,679 with him.

* Howard Bromac gets the perfect chance to put his Australian campaign back on track in Saturday's A$25,000 Geelong Cup.

The Auckland Cup winner has drawn barrier four in the race, with key dangers Foreal, Sokyola and Bobs Blue Boy all drawn on the second line.

Howard Bromac was well beaten after a hard run in the Hunter Cup last start and is using Saturday's race as his final lead-up to the A$2.1 million Interdominions which start in Hobart on March 19.

* The TAB will have fixed-odds betting on all races at Alexandra Park on Friday.

The first night of Auckland's new tri-code cup week not only hosts Mainland Banner but many of the open class trotters returning from the Interdominions in Australia and the richest two-year-old pacing race of the season so far. It also sees Our Sunny Whiz trying to maintain her unbeaten record this season.