Richest holiday harness race in danger of being scrapped

Michael Guerin has reported in the NZ Herald, the richest harness racing race of the holiday season is in danger of being scrapped to leave Alexandra Park’s New Year’s Eve meeting without a major pacing event.

The $50,000 Franklin Cup was to be the biggest race of the popular meeting and will feature dual New Zealand Cup winner Copy That — if it can get off the ground but that is looking increasingly unlikely.

There were only four entries for the 2700m standing start at the original nomination closure time on Tuesday, so the ATC have extended nominations for all races until 9am on Wednesday.

Copy That, who would start off the 30m maximum backmark in the Cup, is joined by Kango, Hot And Treacherous and Alta Wiseguy in the original entries, so there is no shortage of class, just opposition.

Phone calls on Tuesday to trainers with horses in the same grade who would fit into the Cup failed to persuade any to move their horses across from other races or late nominate, so the club will wait to see if any new entries come in on Wednesday.

They will then contact Harness Racing New Zealand to see how many horses are needed to hold the race, with that number likely to be six.

To read the full story, click here.

by Michael Guerin, for The NZ Herald