The 2016/17 Australian Pacing Gold Grand Circuit season has been dominated by the All Stars.
The Christchurch based power couple of Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen has won all but one of the five legs to date this season.
And the only reason they missed the WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park last month, they had nil representation.
Pint sized pacer Chicago Bull made the most of the opportunity and scored a deserving victory.
But the New Zealand Cup (Lazarus), Inter Dominion (Smolda), Auckland Cup (Our Dream About Me) and last week’s Victoria Cup (Lazarus) have all gone the way of the All Stars stable.
And the stable have an excellent of extending their grip on the Grand Circuit this weekend.
The Gr.1 $500,000 Del Re National A G Hunter Cup is the feature, but with a twist.
Historically, the Hunter Cup has been the true staying test of Australia after switching from mobile conditions to stand start condition over the two mile distance back in 1991; it became the race that sorted the men from the boys.
First staged back in 1949, the Hunter Cup witnessed some of the greats winning the feature including the likes of Silver Peak, Ribands, Sibelia, Minuteman, Sheffield Globe, Monara, Pure Steel, Koala King, Gammalite, Popular Alm, Preux Chevalier and Village Kid among others.
But sweeping changes were made following the victory of Odds Torado in 1991 and when the race was re-launched in 1993, it became a key target for all harness racing participants.
Reverting from a mobile start feature over a middle distance journey, the new-look Hunter Cup was a stand-start event over a true staying distance.
The Hunter Cup became a sought after international event.
And the Trans-Tasman rivalry grew deeper.
During the 1990’s, the kiwis dominated with the likes of Master Musician, Blossom Lady, Vics Vance, Surprise Package and Yulestar all claiming the great race.
In the new millennium, Australian trained winners included Another Party, Safe And Sound and Mont Denver Gold before the kiwis returned to the winners circle.
Mister DG, Elsu, Bondy, Mr Feelgood, Stunin Cullen, Choise Achiever, Mah Sish, Christen Me and last year’s winner Smolda were all New Zealand trained winners.
Aussie trained stars that repelled the kiwis during this stretch included About To Rock, Sting Lika Bee, Blacks A Fake and Arden Rooney.
The efforts of Canterbury brothers Tim and Anthony Butt in this event deserves special recognition.
They have combined to win five times (Mister DG, Mr Feelgood, Stunin Cullen, Choise Achiever & Mah Sish) while Anthony also took the winning drive behind champion mare Blossom Lady in 1994/95.
But the 2017 version will be vastly different.
The race has again switched back to a mobile start event while dropping back to a distance of 2760m.
The defending champ Smolda is the horse to beat, from the All Stars stable, despite starting from a second-line draw (gate 9).
A winner of the Inter Dominion, SA and Ballarat Cups at his past three starts, the Courage Under Fire eight-year-old gelding continues to race in excellent form.
In the Ballarat Cup, he took down Lazarus who franked the form with his record setting victory last week in the Victoria Cup.
Another Inter Dominion hero in Lennytheshark looms as the biggest threat to Smolda but he also needs luck after landing the outside of the second-line draw (gate 12).
Both horses have provided some fantastic battles during the past eighteen months and this weekend will be no different.
Champion reinsman Chris Alford will again partner Lennytheshark; he is aiming for his fourth victory in the race following triumphs behind Paris Affair, Mont Denver Gold and Sting Lika Bee.
Master horseman Barry Purdon has trained two previous Cup winners in Vics Vance and Surprise Package and returns this year with the richly talented Hug The Wind.
Brent Mangos takes the drive behind Hug The Wind who starts from gate 11.
The John McCarthy stable is represented by both Allblack Stride (gate 3) and Bling It On (gate 5), both horses performing well in last week’s Victoria Cup.
The stable is yet to win the Hunter Cup.
Also attacking the Cup with dual representation is Dean Braun and Emma Stewart.
Braun has Cruz Bromac (gate 6) and Im Corzin Terror (gate 10) while Stewart has Guaranteed (gate8) and Young Modern (gate 12).
The Sydney stables of Shane and Lauren Tritton have Yayas Hot Spot engaged and the last start Goulburn Cup winner will start from the inside gate if the emergency doesn’t secure a start.
Kerryn Manning, who won the Cup two years ago with Arden Rooney is represented by Ideal Success (gate 4) and will be handled by her husband Grant Campbell.
And Anthony Butt is partnered with Messini (gate 7) for trainer Brent Lilley as he attempts to win his 8th Hunter Cup.
The A G Hunter Cup is scheduled as race 8 and listed to start at 9.32pm local time.
