Sooner The Bettor seals place in IRT NZ Trotting Cup field

[Wandering Eyes]

By Michael Guerin

While there was no surprise in the quinella in the Holmes D G at Alexandra Park on Friday night it raised a very interesting question. 

Is winner Sooner The Bettor going better than this time last year or is Merlin going worse?

The answer might be a little bit of both.

 Sooner The Bettor made it three wins on end to start this campaign and earned his golden ticket into the IRT New Zealand Cup when he led, trailed his stablemate then clearly outpointed him in the straight.

All that after a strange incident when he took off at the 600m when young driver Harrison Orange pulled the plugs at the same time Merlin ran up the track slightly when leading.

Sooner The Bettor poked his head then neck through the gap on the markers before Orange restrained him so considering that little energy burst he did well to run down Merlin 600m later.

Before anybody gets too carried away Merlin did start from a 20m handicap but he got the lead very easily when Zachary Butcher moved and this time last year when they lined up under the same circumstances, Merlin was way too good for Sooner The Bettor, albeit after the latter galloped early.

Maybe it is Merlin being a year older and still on the way up or maybe Orange is getting on so well with Sooner The Bettor the free-goer is enjoying the tight-lines driving style and feeling full of himself.

Co-trainer Scott Phelan was preferring to concentrate on the positive that is Sooner The Bettor racing so well and being guaranteed his NZ Cup spot.

“He is racing great and I was a but surprised he could run past Merlin but of course there was 20m between them at the start,” says Phelan.

“They will both be in the Cup now and they will fly down next week, with the Canterbury Classic their next start then at this stage we will take them both to Kaikoura.”

The Purdon/Phelan team also won earlier in the night with Ocean Eyes who will join her stablemates in Canterbury for the NZ Trotting Oaks and quite possibly The Ascent.

Other good winners on Friday night were Debbie Lincoln in the fillies and mares pace and Chickies Babe in the juvenile trot but the biggest talking point of the night was a lowly maiden race. 

Debutante juvenile pacer Hes Not That Into U was strolling to an impressive win against the older horses when he shied with 20m to go, weaving violently across the track and galloping.

He clung on to win in a photo but was relegated in one of the baddest beats favourite punters will ever have to cop.

But where there are dramatic winners there can be grateful winners and so it was the case with promoted winner Mr Miki, who gave trainer Brendon Laidlaw his first career training success.

American Muscle showed great courage to win the main trot for driver Tony Cameron while Mako overcame a home bend check to win the last and David Butcher returned to Alexandra Park by training and driving You Little Beauty to win in tough style.

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