Cullens' two chances in main pace at Addington tonight - "either can win"

By Michael Guerin

Hayden Cullen isn’t sure the bookies have got tonight’s feature race market at Addington right.

Because the Canterbury trainer and his wife Amanda train both the favourites and he says there is little between the pair.

The Cullens prepare Hadron Collider (R7, No.7) and Trump Card (No.2) who dominate the market for the NZBS Weanling Sale June 26 Pace, the $20,000 main race tonight over the 1980m.

TAB bookies understandably opened Hadron Collider the $1.80 favourite after his recent second to Sideshow Bruce in the Uncut Gems and an overall body of work that has seen him race many of our better intermediate grade pacers this season.

Blessed with high gate speed he could head forward and even wrest the lead off his stablemate but Cullen says it may not be that cut and dried.

“He is a good horse and has to be hard to beat,” he says of Hadron Collider.

“But I don’t think there is as much between them as some people might think.

“Trump Card is a horse we always liked last campaign and he has come back better this term.

“He might be stronger too and should be at peak fitness now after three runs so there isn’t a lot between them this week and either can win.”

There is a way for punters to back both at a 50 per cent profit should one win, with Hadron Collider boosted to $3 for the Box Seat Boost (under futures on TAB website) while Trump Card is $3.20.

Put $10 on both and you spent $20 for a return of $30 or $32. It isn’t everybody’s cup of tea but the sort of thing professional punters do to make money.

Their biggest danger is Miki Knows while summer star Wild Willow should be better for his comeback race last start.

Earlier in the night the Cullens bring smart young trotter Major Cyclone back to the races against the handy Paddy McDaddy in Race 2.

Major Cyclone was originally earmarked for the Ascent Trot Slot race last November but didn’t get there yet is clearly better than the grade he is in tonight.

“He has been trialing well and is a really nice horse so my biggest concerns would be the 2600m fresh up and the other favourite, who is also a handy horse,” says Cullen.

The Cullens are now well settled in at a property they know well, the former All Stars training facility at Rolleston, where they used to work when Hayden was in partnership with Mark Purdon.

“It is great to be back and we have 20 horses in work here but a lot of yearlings to bring back in,” Hayden says.

“At this stage we can train here until next April because as everybody knows it is going to be developed some time after that.”