Classy field assembled for 100th running of the Kaikoura Cup

Kaikoura could have barely wished for a better occasion for the 100th running of the Kaikoura Cup.

The club is set to celebrate with a wonderful two-day harness racing meeting starting Sunday which not only has attracted some of the best horses in the country but will host the first two rounds of heats of the World Driving Championship.

The little club that could will host three heats of the series on Sunday and two on Monday, with Australian rep Gary Hall junior looking to have the strongest book of drives over the opening two days.

On the horse front the Monday second half of the two-dayer will be huge with the 100th running of the $100,000 Alabar Kaikoura Cup having drawn an outstanding field headlined by Akuta and Merlin, so one of the best from each island.

Akuta looked like he would improve on his third in the Flying Stakes at Ashburton on Monday and has a crucial draw advantage with barrier 4 over Merlin’s barrier 6.

Sooner The Bettor will start from barrier 2 while Mo’unga, who is already guaranteed his place in the IRT New Zealand Cup, will start from barrier 7.

The White Morph South Bay Trotters Cup has attracted our most talked-about trotter Oscar Bonavena but he faces a big task starting off a 15m handicap in a big field so it will be interesting to see what price he starts.

The day’s other black type race is the NZBS Aged Classic and it is going to really test the horses starting off handicaps with The Lazarus Effect opening the $1.60 favourite off the front line.

To see the fields click here 

by Michael Guerin, for Harness Racing New Zealand