Bettors Anvil too good in National Handicap at Addington

By Michael Guerin

Bettors Anvil may be on his way to the New Zealand Cup.

That was co-trainer Steve Telfer’s initial reaction after the four-year-old showed grit to win the Garrards National Handicap at Addington on Friday night, the race that was the starting point for this year’s road to the great race on the second Tuesday in November.

Bettors Anvil won the 2600m standing start in a topsy turvy fashion as he made his way to the front early but because he can be a big goof driver Tim Williams didn’t really want to be there, so handed up to Renegade, who in turn handed up to Mo’unga.

While giving away field position to two of your key rivals might sound the sheer definition of being uncompetitive it proved to be the winning of the race.

Mo’unga appeared to have his rivals in trouble at the 400m but Williams first went out then back in to use the passing lane to grab him before holding off the late runs of Wild Willow and Da Vinci.

“That was a big run and clearly an improvement from his first run back,” said Telfer who trains Bettors Anvil with sister Amanda.

So does it suggest Bettors Anvil is a New Zealand Cup horse?

“That is the aim,” he confirms.

“We know he is up to Group 1 level and he will follow any type of speed so that is what we will set him for.”

Telfer says in an ideal world Bettors Anvil may have had a different type of start to his summer planned.
 
I’d love to take him to Perth for four to six weeks through November and December for the four-year-old races and some of the features there.

“But that isn’t going to pan out so the New Zealand Cup is definitely the aim.”

While beaten back into fourth Mo’unga did his New Zealand Cup claims no harm after starting from his 30m back mark and working in the middle stages and only fading late.

Others to catch the eye at Addington included Montara for David and Stacey White winning the maiden trot in good fashion while Royal Del and The Royal Gamble gave Fred Fletcher a training double.