Aussie stars add interest to NZ Cup noms

Group 1-winning harness racing stars Lochinvar Art (Modern Art) and Majestic Cruiser (Art Major) headline a quartet of Australians that have been nominated for the IRT New Zealand Cup at Addington on Tuesday, November 8.

Lochinvar Art, one of Australia’s most decorated pacers, has already won seven Group Ones including the Hunter and Victoria Cups but has never raced on this side of the Tasman while Majestic Cruiser proved he’s up with the best in Australasia by taking out of the Group 1 Messenger at Alexandra Park in April, after finishing second to 2020 New Zealand Cup champion Self Assured in The Race at Cambridge.

Joining Majestic Cruiser in the nominations, which closed this week, are fellow Australian-based pacers Rock N Roll Doo (Rock N Roll Heaven) and Cast No Shadow (Shadow Play).

Both Kiwi bred, Rock N Roll Doo has been in a rich vein of form of late for Mick Stanley with two wins in his last four starts at Melton, while the former Paul Court and Bob Butt-trained Cast No Shadow has won 17 races, dead heating in his last start victory at Albion Park.

Numbers-wise Robert and Jenna Dunn have the biggest representation with five nominations – Classie Brigade, Smiffy’s Terror, Sam’s Town, Heisenberg and Steel The Show, while Steve and Amanda Telfer have three with B D Joe, Alta Wiseguy and Allamericanlover.

Defending champion Copy That, who’s currently racing in Australia, is nominated too, as is Self Assured and fellow All Stars guns Spankem and Akuta. Emerging star Old Town Road is also there, having furnished a fine record of seven wins from ten starts for northern trainer John Dickie.

The full list of nominations (40) for the IRT New Zealand Cup is :

Akuta (Bettor’s Delight)

Allamericanlover (American Ideal)

Alta Wiseguy (Mach Three)

American Me (American Ideal)

B D Joe (Roll With Joe)

Cast No Shadow (Shadow Play)

Classie Brigade (Bettor’s Delight)

Copperhead Rose (Vintage Master)

Copy That (American Ideal)

Corravally Star (Washington VC)

Cranbourne (Sir Lincoln)

Di Caprio (Shadow Play)

Got You Covered (Art Major)

Heisenberg (Art Major)

Heza Sport (Sportswriter)

Hot And Treacherous (Captaintreacherous)

Ifyousayso (Terror To Love)

Johnny Mac (Mach Three)

Kango (American Ideal)

Krug (Bettor’s Delight)

Last Tango In Heaven (Rock N Roll Heaven)

Laver (Art Major)

Lochinvar Art (Modern Art)

Macandrew Aviator (Panspacificflight)

Majestic Cruiser (Art Major)

Mikey Maguire (Mach Three)

Old Town Road (Bettor’s Delight)

One Change (Bettor’s Delight)

Pembrook Playboy (Bettor’s Delight)

Rock N Roll Doo (Rock N Roll Heaven)

Sam’s Town (Art Major)

Self Assured (Bettor’s Delight)

Smiffy’s Terror (Terror To Love)

South Coast Arden (Somebeachsomewhere)

Spankem (Bettor’s Delight)

Steel The Show (Bettor’s Delight)

Stylish Memphis (Bettor’s Delight)

Terry (Terror To Love)

The Falcon (Bettor’s Delight)

Tommy Waterhouse (American Ideal)

 

The Dominion :

Trotting’s great race the Dominion, on Friday Tuesday 11, features 27 nominations including two-time champion and record holder Sundees Son. He won in both 2020 and 2021, with his victory last year being in a scintillating 3:56.6.

The reigning Horse of the Year is one of three nominations for Team Dunn, along with Aardiebythehill and Mataderos.

Sundees Son’s greatest rivals in recent times – Bolt For Brilliance and Muscle Mountain – are also nominated.

Muscle Mountain is one of three nominations from the Greg and Nina Hope barn along with Enghien and Midnight Dash.

Regan Todd also has two nominations, with Oscar Bonavena and the recently-acquired Andy Hall, as does Paul Nairn with Matua Tana and 2019 Dominion winner Habibi Inta.

The full list of nominations (27) for The Dominion is :

Aardiebythehill (Muscle Hill)

Aflyin Spur (Pegasus Spur)

Andy Hall (Andover Hall)

Bolt For Brilliance (Muscle Hill)

Chief Of Staff (The Pres)

Enghien (Love You)

Five Wise Men (Muscle Hill)

Habibi Inta (Love You)

Harold Smith (Andover Hall)

Kahress (Muscle Hill)

Majestic Lavros (Majestic Son)

Majestic Man (Majestic Son)

Mataderos (Dream Vacation)

Matua Tana (Love You)

Maui (Peak)

Midnight Dash (Muscle Hill)

Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill)

One Over Da Stars (Love You)

Oscar Bonavena (Majestic Son)

Over The Love (Love You)

Sioux Princess (Majestic Son)

Smokin Bandar (Monkey Bones)

Son Of Patrick (Father Patrick)

Sundees Son (Majestic Son)

The Dominator (The Pres)

The Fox (Sundon)

Tweedledee (Superfast Stuart)

Nominations for the Graphite Developments Futurity will remain open till next Wednesday.

From Harness Racing New Zealand