Nathan Williamson's the one to watch at Ascot Park

By Jonny Turner 

Tuapeka Lodge Cup Day could prove to be a key moment in one of the greatest comebacks in horse racing history.

Nathan Williamson brings a seriously strong team of six horses to the annual meeting at Ascot Park on Sunday, including three hot favourites.

His powerful squad gives the horseman a realistic shot of taking the lead in the 2026 Southland trainers premiership.

Williamson goes into the harness racing weekend on 32 wins, three behind the current leader Brett Gray.

With nine prior victories, he's no stranger to taking out the competition, though victory this year would be like no other.

On January 1, Williamson was in a coma in Auckland Hospital after his well-documented fall from a broken sulky at Alexandra Park the previous night.

In the first three months of the year, Williamson trained just three winners and he wasn't medically fit enough to put much of the polish on them himself.

But fast forward to Labour Weekend and the trainer-driver is in exceptional form.

"It has been great that we have been able to make up for the lost time at the start of the year."

"The premiership isn't something we chase but with how far we were behind early on it would be satisfying if we were able to win it."

"But there is a long way to go yet so even with a good day on Sunday anything could happen before the end of the year."

Like Williamson's premiership journey, Duchess Maria is on an unusual route of her own.

There have been some raised eyebrows over Williamson opting to start the brilliant trotter in a minor event on Tuapeka Lodge Cup Day when she could be taking on her peers in the Hambletonian Classic at Ashburton the next day.

But there is plenty of reasoning why.

"I feel that at this stage of her preparation, the longer distance and staying closer to home are the best options for her."

"Her main target is the New Zealand Trotting Oaks, over 2600m."

"So, we are taking the chance to get another longer race into her and that means forgoing The Hambletonian."

"She handled the standing start and 2700m very well in her last start and she's been great since so I am expecting a similar performance."

Secret Agent Man is set to start favourite for the Tuapeka Lodge Cup, largely due to his front line handicap.

Bookmakers and punters clearly have faith in the pacer making the most of his handicap advantage by stepping away cleanly in his first standing start.
 
The good news for them is Williamson agrees.

"He is a very sensible and tractable horse and I am quite hopeful he can do things right."

"You don't know until you get out there under race day standing start conditions, but he has the right attributes."

"If he can get away nicely, he should be right in it, he's in a good space."

The Williamson trained Tactical Chevron looks hard to beat in Sunday's maiden trot after a debut second, while Partytime is a big winning hope in the Tuapeka finale.

Captain Christina will also debut for the Branxholme trainer, facing a tough draw in barrier 8.

Jonny Turner's Five to Follow 

Race 8 - Secret Agent Man

It is not Secret Agent Man’s form on the board that needs the closest inspection leading into the Tuapeka Lodge Cup.

The pacer clearly has a fine record, but it is the way that he has gone about compiling it that could be the key indicator for harness racing fans ahead of Sunday.

Secret Agent Man has shown himself to be a very tractable and sensible pacer in his short career, which looks a massive asset to bring to his first standing start.

If he can step away cleanly, he and trainer-driver Nathan Williamson will get the chance to make maximum use of the handicap advantage they have over their main rivals.

On that basis he looks a big winning chance of taking out Sunday’s feature with catch me if you can tactics.

Race 1 - The Bricklayer

This pacer has been absolutely luckless in his recent starts and the weight of probabilities suggests he’s due better fortune on Sunday.

Three and four starts ago, The Bricklayer was left parked in the running while fighting on in solid efforts.

Two starts ago he was stuck away on the markers before running on nicely when clear late.

Last start, The Bricklayer was caught three wide for the first lap of his assignment and did reasonably well to run seventh.

With just a slice of luck from a good draw on Tuapeka Lodge Cup Day, he should prove to be a nice each way chance.

Race 6 - Jaccka Henry

What appears a niggly draw could turn into a dream spot for this four-year-old.

Drawing barrier 1 on the second row could be a case of win or bust for Jaccka Henry.

He follows out a horse that likes to lead in Pacific Arc, but the concern is he is fresh up since August and one of the roughies of the field.

Pacific Arc is a chance of holding the lead and if he does that of course puts Jaccka Henry in the perfect spot.

If Pacific Arc doesn’t Jaccka Henry’s winning hopes go down with each place he’s stuck back on the markers.

Three back on the pegs looks workable, while any further back would be a nightmare.

Jaccka Henry brings the best form and is overdue victory, but he will need a slice of luck to get it.

Race 7 - Duchess Maria

It clearly does not take a rocket scientist to tip out the best three-year-old trotter in the country in a grade race.

Duchess Maria is a star and only some sort of catastrophe could stop her from winning on Sunday.

She opened a $1.30 fixed odds win favourite, which is actually a generous price when you consider the talent she has.

A $1.05 quote is probably a fairer reflection of her winning chances.

Delphyne and Ah Dinnae Ken look strong options for second pick behind the favourite.

Race 3 - Tactical Chevron

He’s not in her class, but the short odds for Duchess Maria’s stablemate are pretty fair.

Aside from the fact that both horses are trotters and both are three-year-olds, they have little in common.

Tactical Chevron gets the chance to boost his reputation if he can run to victory on Tuapeka Lodge Cup Day.

He was defeated in his debut by a race winner, which for most maidens should get a pass mark.

Tactical Chevron should return better and wiser for that outing which looks no harder and he should take plenty of holding out.