Feature Race Nominations

Five Australian-based horses have been included in the nominations for New Zealand Cup week.

Forty one horses have been nominated for the IRT New Zealand Cup on Tuesday, November 9, with 21 for the Dominion Trot on Show Day and 52 for the Glenys and Philip Kennard/Graphite Development Ltd Show Day Futurity Final.

Defending champion Self Assured is the sole horse from the Hayden Cullen barn to be nominated for the IRT New Zealand Cup though Australian-based Auckland Cup winner Amazing Dream may well be transferred to the stable from Victoria-based ex-pat Kiwi Nathan Purdon.

Nathan Purdon's father Mark Purdon, Self Assured's regular driver, will be training in partnership with Cullen from October 1 after having a break from the training ranks this year. The Brent Mangos-trained South Coast Arden could be based there for his Cup campaign too.

As well as Amazing Dream the other Australian-based pacers heading to Christchurch will be Burnham Boy, Triple Eight, and Willie Go West.

Nominations also include southerners Pembrook Playboy and U May Cullect and big northern hopes Copy That, Bad To The Bone and Kango.

The Richard and Emmett Brosnan-trained Maori Law, a winner at Bendigo at the weekend, will be the sole Australian in the Dominion Trot. 2020 champion Sundees Son is back, while Bolt For Brilliance, Majestic Man, Majestic Lavros, Muscle Mountain and Oscar Bonavena are other nominations with serious Dominion credentials.

For a full list of the nominations click here

For the Glenys and Philip Kennard/Graphite Development Ltd Show Day Futurity Media Release including key dates click here