Mo'unga continues Regan Todd's great run of form at Addington
By Michael Guerin
Of all the options Mo’unga has ahead of him in the next month the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup is the one trainer Regan Todd is least excited about.
That isn’t to say Friday night’s effortless Addington winner wouldn’t head to the great race if he gets in but Todd admits he is not really thinking that far ahead or that lofty a goal.
Mo’unga sits 22nd in the Cup rankings but with at least two in front of him likely to pull out, putting him 20th and a few more withdrawals from making the emergencies for the great race.
But Todd, who is going through a purple patch of feature race wins, admits he is looking at smaller targets on a smaller track.
If he got into the Cup great but I don’t think that will happen,” he says.
“So we are looking at Kaikoura. We have two options there because he could go to the Sales Series Race or if the handicap in that is too tough we could look at the Kaikoura Cup off the front.”
With his long stride and wearing spreaders Mo’unga hardly looks a perfect Kaikoura candidate but Todd says he has taken him to the smaller inside track at Motukarara and he handled it well so Kaikoura is the next stop.
“He has done a great job really to win eight races from just 20 starts so I don’t mind too much if he misses the Cup this year.”
He was impressive in the Alan Gibson Handicap Pace on Friday combining manners and a lack of mid-race pressure for a two length win, his last 800m in 56 seconds.
One Friday night winner definitely heading for Cup Week is Stella Rouge, who easily beat the older fillies and mares in her 1980m dash, the Happy Birthday Pete Smith Fillies and Mares Mobile Pace.
“We decided to miss the Sires’ Stakes heat at Ashburton because she had already won one at Addington and would have drawn poor because of that.
“So this race was ideal and she can now get ready for the final.
“She is a pretty good filly and I think she can go better than when she was fourth in the Harness Million.”
The richest race of the night was kept in the family as Atlantic City won the $45,000 Macca Lodge Sires’ Stakes Classique Trot, the same race won by older sister Empire City last year.
Atlantic City was having just her third start and had to be kept up to her work by driver Brad Williamson to beat a very brave Frazzled.
Trainer Phil Williamson thinks Atlantic City is actually better with a trail so the daughter of Volstead did well to hold on after being asked to take advantage of her good barrier draw.
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