New Zealand Trotting Cup

[Richard prior]

Arden Rooney and Kerryn got the chocolates.

[Smoken]

Well done to Arden Rooney and Kerryn. I must say, that was a very boring race to watch... No excitement felt here..

[Richard prior]

No moves and no attacking the leader, Very unusual in NZ, Fair dinkum Arden Rooney would go harder at home in track work, Let Arden Rooney run along at his own tempo and he's very, very hard to toss, Full marks to the horse and Kerryn and to our Kiwi friends, He's an adopted Aussie, Great to see some money coming back to Australia for a change.

[Messenger]

It was indeed a fairly boring race. I missed it live and was shocked to see AR pay almost 7/1 on TAB. Good drive by Kerryn, even if she was afforded a cushy run - she was smart enough to go full bore from the 800.

http://infohorse.hrnz.co.nz/datahr/results/111032rs.htm#Race10

For others who may have missed it

[Richard prior]

Full wrap on Sky 2 In the Gig at 600pm.

[teecee]

K Manning out 2 weeks and another donation to the industry of $1,000 for getting too excited for the second time in 8 days.

[Jimbob]

Small price to pay for that win!

[Amlin]

7/1 was good odds - I must say Merv sounded pretty confident when he spoke at the GR Medal on Sunday night - am amazed at the starting price actually!

[Messenger]

K Manning out 2 weeks and another donation to the industry of $1,000 for getting too excited for the second time in 8 days.

I must admit that the drivers that do not think twice about belting a horse do worry me Tony

[Messenger]

http://www.harnesslink.com/Australia/Media-Release---Victoria-s-Kerryn-Manning-becomes-first-woman-to-win-New-Zealand-Trotting-Cup

Kerryn-Manning-becomes-first-woman-to-win-New-Zealand-Trotting-Cup

[thepacingman]

No moves and no attacking the leader, Very unusual in NZ.

Very true. But what the NZ races become are hand-up-athons. You find the early leader a lap later is three sometimes four back on the pegs. Horses keep going around and the latest leader hands up. Once Kerryn got the front there was no way she would hand up. Basically the race was over after 100 metres. They may as well waived the chequered flag then.

As for being boring it was but not in the usual NZ way. What it did do though was show the NZ drivers in a very poor light. Showed how one-dimensional they are and once the race was not run in their usual pattern they were frozen in their sulkies. Zero initiative shown. You have to wonder what they were thinking or even if they were thinking at all.

Even Natalie handing up the death at the bell was very ordinary. Her horse seemed to be travelling well.

Lastly, as for Ima Corzin Terror why did they not take a driver with them from here? Alford, Jack and Sugars have all driven him (Nathan Jack my choice) and would all be far superior to the NZ driver they used.

[Messenger]

I agree with what you say Stephen and yet we cannot claim to have less boring racing in Australia, when a lot of the time the fave gets to the lead or death and then there are no moves until a 3w train forms at the bell.
I have been watching a lot of gallops racing lately and really it is no better - pretty much no matter the distance they settle in positions, bunch up nearing the home bend, fan and sprint down the straight. I don't know why but it looks better - I think it must be the clearer form of the horse (no sulky), the green grass and maybe slightly better camera work

[aussiebreno]

7/1 was good odds - I must say Merv sounded pretty confident when he spoke at the GR Medal on Sunday night - am amazed at the starting price actually!
Not as good as 20/1 available about a month ago.

That said 7/1 was about right anyway. Had the easiest of runs and Smolda got very close.