Trotting star yet to confirm Aussie trip

One New Zealand harness star confirmed his trip to Australia at Cambridge on Friday night but another still has to wait before any such plans come to reality.

Krug farewelled to New Zealand for the next few months when he captured the $25,000 Cliff Thomas Free-For-All from Hot And Treacherous.

The win was in no small way courtesy of an aggressive drive from catch driver Todd Mitchell, who settled in the one-one early but pulled out immediately and surged to the front.

Once there he kept up a 1:52.7 mile rate for the 1700m and held out the brave late dab of the runner-up, with Belle Of Montana finishing well in third.

Two of the other favourites burned punters, The Honey Queen dropping right out after leading then trailing so clearly wasn’t at her best while the talented Old Town Road galloped in the score up and will now head to the spelling paddock.

Krug (Bettor’s Delight) now heads to New South Wales with trainer Cran Dalgety’s former travelling man Murray Howard, who did much of the Australian training of stars like Christen Me, taking him across.

“We were very happy with Todd’s drive because he is heading to Menangle and it is a track where you need to be aggressive or you get left behind,” said Dalgety.

Krug heads there to potentially race in a free-for-all in January 22 and then in the preludes of the Chariots Of Fire, victory in which on February 19 would earn him a spot in the March 5 Miracle Mile.

While Krug is crossing the Tasman for sure, trainer-driver Tony Herlihy is still unsure about whether Bolt For Brilliance will be going to Victoria for a campaign based around the Great Southern Star.

Bolt For Brilliance made it three wins in the north since coming back from Cup week when he overpowered Temporale after sitting parked in the Charlie Hunter Trot.

He trotted a 1:55.6 mile rate for the 1700m to record his 15th win from 32 starts and now Herlihy and the owners have a decision to make.

The big horse seems to love mobile racing and is trotting perfectly squarely and with Sundees Son not going to Victoria, Bolt For Brilliance would be one of the favourites for all the group ones there.

“Ideally we would have like to have gone but the fact I can’t go there and come back really complicates it,” says Herlihy.

“The owners are only lukewarm because of that so we may have another think about it this week but at this stage we are probably leaning more toward not going.”

By Michael Guerin