Flying start at Addington for Team Cullen

By Michael Guerin

It was the perfect stable quinella to start the night for Cullen Racing at Addington on Friday.

Because Trump Card proved co-trainer Hayden Cullen wrong with a fighting win while stablemate Winelight did all that could be expected fresh-up in second with her trainers certain she will improve.

In a rare case of the opening race being the class contest of the night Trump Card overcame sitting parked to hold out the more favoured mares who were stalking him, Winelight to his inside and Beside Me off his back.

“He keeps making a liar out of me,” laughed Cullen about Trump Card.

“I keep telling people he is a better sit-sprinter and then he comes out and does that.”

Trump Card is soon going to find himself in a tough grade as carnival time approaches and Cullen and wife Amanda think he could even develop into a Country Cups type horse to give him options away from the age group stars.

But while he was the too good for some smart mares on Friday, Hayden was just as stoked with Winelight’s return in second.

“She obviously wasn’t as fit as he was but that was a good run and she will only improve with that.”

Winelight will race again in two weeks with her main aim being the new race, the Adore Me at Addngton on Show Day.

But Cullen says she is going to need to come up seriously well to win the new race as he and Amanda are also setting dual Oaks winner Arafura for it.

“She [Arafura] has only had trial back and the pair of them had decent long spells so Arafura will need another trial I think.

“But she has come back really well and I think she could end up the mare to beat in a few good races.”

Trump Card’s win was the first leg of a training double as later Eyes Wide Open justified his favouritism when he bolted away with the two-year-old trot.

He was faultless for driver Blair Orange but some doubt was thrown into his chances when second favourite Royal Monarch looped the field and raced to the lead but he blew his chances with a gallop at the top of the straight.

It is impossible to know what would have happened had he maintained his gait but regardless Eyes Wide Open made a big impression with the way he powered up the straight. 

The Cullen stable is really warming up with Chiggsy having trialed mid-week and last Friday night’s Addington debut winner Faith Not Fear, with the pair set to clash in a two-year-old colts race next Friday.

“We have a really nice team of two and three-year-old coming through so a lot to look forward to,” said Cullen.

Chiggsy and Faith Not Fear are currently the second and third favourites for the NZB Harness Million at Addington on October 9 while Eyes Wide Open is now the second favourite for Two-Year-Old Harness Million Trot the same night.