Old Town Road adds to his NZ Cup credentials

Friday night (Oct. 8) harness racing at Alexandra Park was headlined by the ninth installment of the Kerry Hoggard Memorial | Holmes DG Handicap Pace for the Open Class pacers of the North.

A small but select field of seven runners was on hand for two and a half laps around the ‘ribbon of light’ with the 2700m journey serving as another building block on the road to New Zealand Cup & Show week.

With three of the seven runners holding New Zealand Cup nominations and far from assured of their place on the second Tuesday in November at Addington Raceway, there was no shortage of motivation for the likes of Old Town Road (Bettor’s Delight), Hot And Treacherous (Captaintreacherous) and Last Tango In Heaven (Rock N Roll Heaven).

The John Dickie trained Old Town Road was having his first start for a month having suffered a minor setback when taking skin off his legs in a paddock accident which kept him out of the Spring Cup a fortnight earlier.

The son of Bettor’s Delight has the been the big improver in the North, quickly making his way through the grades as the winner of seven races from his previous 10 starts.

Despite this and having earlier claimed the scalp of New Zealand Cup winner, Copy That (American Ideal), Old Town Road finds himself with work to do, sitting 25th on the rankings for New Zealand Cup nominees.

With the North Island’s leading reinsman in the cart and desperate to see him book a ticket south, Old Town Road and Zachary Butcher set about making that prospect a reality with another dominant display of pacing.

The pair were at their bruising best in withstanding a late charge from the fresh up Hot And Treacherous and Maurice McKendry by two- and three-quarter lengths, with a similar distance back to the Tony Herlihy trained Last Tango in Heaven.

“It’s exciting times, it’s hard to find a horse who will go through the grades like him and just keep winning,” said Zachary Butcher to Jo Stevens of Track Chat after the race.

“Hot And Treacherous is a very good horse in his own right, and he was fresh tonight and might of needed the run, but we sort of put paid to the field tonight and he just seems to get better and better.

“We’ve just got to ride the wave and enjoy it while it unfolds, it’s been a lot of fun.

“Bring on Cup Day,” he added.

Taking his record to eight wins from 11 starts, Old Town Road paced the 2700m journey in 3:20.4 with blazing closing sectionals of 55.7 and 27.9.

OLD TOWN ROAD REPLAY

The win should see him move up the rankings but just how much will depend a lot on the performances of those above him in the G3 Methven Cup on Sunday.

Cranbourne (16th), Smiffy’s Terror (19th), McAndrew Aviator (23rd) and Mikey Maguire (24th) are all in with a chance of giving their own credentials a boost in a race that is likely to carry far more weight given its group status and the quality of the field.

You can’t do much more then win however, and punters have taken notice backing in the John Dickie trained runner from a $41 quote prior to his last start triumph into a $21 ninth favourite.

Should Old Town Road continue down a winning path, he will add plenty of spice to a New Zealand Cup that all of a sudden looks to have plenty more depth than we have seen for some time.

For complete Alexandra Park results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink