New Zealand Cup hopefuls battle it out at Perth on Friday night

By Adam Hamilton 

The countdown to the IRT NZ Trotting Cup stretches all the way to Gloucester Park in Western Australia this Friday. 

Veteran star Minstrel and his exciting younger stablemate Gee Heza Sport are both nominated for the Cup, at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. 

They return from breaks in a small, but star-studded $35,000 Howard Porter Free-for-all (2536m) in Perth at 11.11pm NZT.

Their rivals include ageing star Magnificent Storm, who has the huge advantage of gate one, and the state’s top pacer, the Kiwi-bred Mister Smartee.

Magnificent Storm should be primed after four runs back from his latest setback and the pole makes him very hard to beat.

Gee Heza Sport (gate four) has recent racing under his belt, while Minstrel is first-up.

Mister Smartee hasn’t raced since early May when he completed the huge Group 1 double – Nullarbor and Fremantle Cup.

Co-trainer Greg Bond, a self-confessed lover of the NZ Cup, said the trip remained a possibility for his star pair.

Adding to the interest is the fact both are still largely owned in NZ.

And the pair are both terrific stayers with extensive standing-start experience.

Mister Smartee’s trainer, Gary Hall Sr, toyed with an NZ Cup raid with his latest stable star this year.

“He’s still new to the big league and it’s best we wait another year, especially with Leap To Fame going to Addington this year,” he said.

“He’s the best horse we’ve ever seen.”

Hall Sr’s son, Gary Jr, will take boom recent Kiwi import Bettathanlife to Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The three-year-old filly carried huge wraps into her first start at Pinjarra where she bolted in and ran scorching times.

She looks every bit an Oaks winner in the making and will take a step towards it in the Oaks Prelude this weekend.

Hall Sr will also have exciting former Kiwi juveniles Dmac (gate two) and Im Stealthy (nine) tackle a Golden Slipper 2YO Prelude at the same meeting.