The big names are back at Addington
If you’re looking for horses to follow on the road to Cup Week, tonight’s Addington meeting is a good place to start.
Horse of the Year Republican Party is back. So is Marketplace, one of the young pacers hoping to challenge him at the top level. They meet in the NZI Chairman’s Pace, the first of three feature races packed into one hour.
Republican Party has been one of New Zealand’s standout pacers for the past two seasons and begins his latest New Zealand Cup campaign tonight. Marketplace has been building a reputation of his own, but this is a serious early test. He returns from a short break and starts 10 metres behind the front markers, with Republican Party a further 10 metres back.
It’s a chance to see where the established star and the rising challenger stand as spring racing gathers pace. It’s Tough adds another strong name to the field.
The trotters take over in the D G Jones Banks Peninsula Cup. Habibti Pat, Mighty Logan and Ya Rite Darl are among the horses lining up, with Habibti Pat starting ahead of her key rivals under the handicap conditions. Their race offers another early look at horses to watch on the way to November.
Then Derby winner Jumal makes his return in the Wai Eyre Farm Lazarus Stakes.
Jumal has won 12 of his 14 starts, but his comeback won’t be a simple one. He starts from barrier nine against race-fit rivals, including Freeze Frame, who beat him in last year’s Sires’ Stakes Final.
It’s a big night for horses at different stages of their spring campaigns. Some are beginning the road to Cup Week, while others have a chance to show they belong alongside the sport’s biggest names.