Victory for the small-time trainers in Canterbury Classic

By Michal Guerin

The IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup will have not one but two new fairytale stories after the Lamb And Hayward Canterbury Classic at Addington on Friday night.

Because it looks certain Tact McLeod and Franco Marek are taking two smaller stable trainers to our greatest race.

The pair quinellaed the Classic with Tact McLeod too strong out of the one-one for Samantha Ottley and grabbing Franco Marek, who had led and then trailed, with Alta Meteor third.

That means all three are now guaranteed a spot in the Cup on November 12 and is going to cause one hell of a logjam of horses formerly ranked between 13 and 20 to try to snare the last spots.

Tact McLeod looks all over a Cup horse, big, strong and fast and while after his win last Friday owner-trainer Trevor Proctor (pictured above) said the Cup was a wait and see, the wait may now be over.

Tact McLeod has been staying with caretaker trainer Mark Jones and Jones says once he and Proctor sit down to talk the Cup over the big son of Sweet Lou will be confirmed in the field.

“Why wouldn’t we go?” asks Jones.

“I think tonight showed he is as good as these horses and while Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming might be a level higher and Leap To Fame a level higher again, this horse is a good stayer with manners.

“Ultimately it will be Trevor’s decision but I am all for starting him.”

If the Aussies come and the best Kiwis all make it to Addington maybe Tact McLeod can’t win this year’s Cup but he might come out of it a better horse and be a winning chance next year.

One man who doesn’t need to be asked twice about whether he will be cashing in his Cup golden ticket is Greg Manson, trainer of Franco Marek.

“It is a dream come true to get him into the race and we will be going,” says Manson.

“He will keep getting better, he only had one trial to get to this race and we have 45 days to the Cup to get him fit.

“So we will be there.”

For Proctor (with Jones’s help) and Manson to have horses in the Cup feels like a nod to days many feared were gone, when smaller stables could match it with the mega barns.

On a road to the Cup that has had plenty of twists so far the pressure now goes on those outside the top 18, with it realistic to think two or three of those inside that number won’t make it to Addington on November 12.

Earlier in the night Harrison John was dominant in the Lazarus Stakes even after sitting parked and looks to be stronger this time in while Habibti Pat remained unbeaten and untroubled doing so when she won the Aldebaran Eagle Trot for the two-year-olds.

Demon Blue won the two-year-old pace by seven and a half lengths which would usually seem massive on a Friday night at Addington until Wag Star won an even stronger race by 15 lengths in a 1:54 mile rate for the 1980m.

He is a serious open class horses in the making.

Add in Princess Meritaten who overcame a second line draw to win her Woodlands Mares Sprint heat and Fiery Bandito in the main trot for Kirsten Green and we had a high class night at headquarters.