Kirkwood pinching himself on the eve of IRT NZ Cup Day

A little over six months ago, we wrote about Harness Racing New Zealand’s Liaison Officer, Cameron Kirkwood and his two good friends, Regan Todd, Robbie Close, and their aspirations for the future with rising star of the pacing ranks, Mo’unga (Bettor’s Delight).

The conversation took place on the eve of the Regan Todd trained pacers biggest test to that point of his career, as he readied himself as the favourite for the $100,000 Country Cup Final at Addington Raceway.

While that night didn’t unfold as the trio would have liked, almost everything in the time that has passed since has come to fruition, with the main one being seeing their five-year-old gelding with a start in the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup.

Having secured his ticket on the back of a dominant win in the G2 Alabar Kaikoura Cup last Monday, the dream was realised and for a guy in his mid 20’s as passionate about the industry as Kirkwood, you could say that Christmas has come six weeks early this year!

“It’s pretty unreal. Like a lot of people say, being a young fella from Canterbury, the New Zealand Cup is the pinnacle of Cup and Show Week and obviously the Australasian harness racing calendar,” said Kirkwood.

“It hasn’t really sunk in if I’m being honest. Reg (Todd) and Robbie (Close) are two of my best mates and as corny as it may sound, it really is that little bit more special to have them both involved,” he said.

Kirkwood has and still does ,when time permits, worked weekends at the Regan Todd barn for several years and his dedication and commitment to the task saw him rewarded with a share in Mo’unga 18 months ago.

Having developing a few issues as a young horse and with the advice being that time would be his friend, the ownership group decided a change of scenery was what would suit the horse and he was subsequently transferred from the All Stars Stable to that of Todd’s. Having had a wee handle in the horse coming through the gates, Todd was only to happy to gift his mate Cameron a share in him.

21 starts later, Kirkwood is rubbing shoulders with some of the major ownership entities in our sport and has a date with destiny as a part owner of a New Zealand Trotting Cup contender.

Despite being one of the more lightly tried contenders in the $1,000,000 spectacle, what Mo’unga lacks in experience, the son of Bettor’s Delight more then makes up for with X Factor and is most definitely deserving of his opportunity.

“We always knew he would take a couple of runs to come too it and to be fair he was unlucky in the Hannon where he flew home and didn’t get all favours in the Canterbury Classic. With the way some of those automatic entries unfolded we knew we would need to put some runs on the board which as he showed, he is very capable of doing,” he said.

After beginning well last week in front of a jam packed Kaikoura crowd, Mo’unga once again showed he is more than up to the task of stepping away and putting himself in contention and on the early speed. Something he will have to do tomorrow if his connections are to be a chance of upsetting the apple cart.

As he also showed at Kaikoura when handing up with a mile to go, Mo’unga is more than capable of following a hot speed and has a withering burst when covered up for one run at them. Robbie Close reported to the stewards at the conclusion of the G2 triumph that the ear plugs in his charge were in fact still in tact and should he get a similar sort of trip on what is more than likely to be a hot speed over two miles tomorrow, the big guns will certainly notice his presence.

“I don’t think anybody with a runner in the race hasn’t dreamt of what might or could be. The industry is built on dreams and we are living our dreams with this horse and there is hopefully a few more chapters left to be written. It was pretty surreal at Kaikoura because we all thought he could win, but once I held that Kaikoura Cup in my hand, the fact that he actually did it hit me and I became quite emotional in the birdcage.If he somehow managed to pull it off (NZ Cup), I don’t think that will ever be topped in my racing career.

“We know he is going to need a few favours and the beginning will be crucial to his chances, but he isn’t just a horse going around and making up the numbers and we couldn’t be happier with his form heading into tomorrow,” he said.

Kirkwood is a self confessed trotting enthusiast first and foremost and has the unusual luxury of being able to enjoy the countries biggest trotting race on Cup Day for the first time, whilst also having a runner in the Cup later in the day. With a voice that some pundits have likened to a young John Farnham, don’t be surprised if you can hear or see him belting out a rousing rendition of the New Zealand national anthem around about 5:40pm tomorrow evening.

“Hearing that national anthem on track will definitely hit a bit different this time around, and my heart rate will be through the roof at the start and finish but fingers crossed he can put his best foot forward and get a bit of the money,” he said.

For complete Addington Cup Day fields, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink