Harness racing: Mo’unga better placed in 30m National Handicap at Addington
Mo’unga finds himself in the very unusual situation of being on a 30m back mark at Addington tonight and yet actually being better off than he has been in his recent races.
The open-classer starts from the back mark in the $22,500 Garrards National Handicap, the sort of handicap which has become increasingly difficult for horses to overcome these days.
But trainer Regan Todd says Mo’unga’s latest performances suggest he can still win the first race this spring on the road to the New Zealand Cup.
The reason is that Mo’unga won from a 40m handicap two starts ago, when he was giving key rivals Renegade and Da Vinci 15m starts, while he was still competitive against them when starting from 50m behind, giving the same pair 25m starts last time out.
But because tonight’s race has a maximum back mark of 30m, it means Mo’unga is actually better off compared with Renegade and Da Vinci, who only get 10m starts on him tonight.
“He can win but he will need things to go right for him and maybe not so right for a few others,” Todd said.
“It is usually really hard for horses coming from back marks but if the pace is on then he could be hitting the line hard.”
While numerically the 30m isn’t as scary as some of Mo’unga’s recent handicaps, what could make it more difficult is not only the presence of Renegade but the two Team Telfer stablemates Bettors Anvil and Tact Teva, both off only 10m.
Bettors Anvil is a proven Group 1 performer who, while he disappointed last start, should be fitter for that and will be extremely hard to run down if he can get close to the speed.
Tact Teva is less proven and with more to learn but has been in outstanding form and winning like an open horse in waiting so he too can win but he comes with a few more questions over him than his stablemate.
Todd says if Mo’unga returns to his best form this spring, the New Zealand Cup is still his aim.
“I’d love to get him there with a trouble free preparation after we had a few issues along the way last season.”
Also heading to the New Zealand Cup of course will be stable star Marketplace, who has been back for 10 days after his Queensland campaign and will be aimed at the Canterbury Classic as his starting point.
Todd suggests punters follow his maiden trotter The Royal Metro (Race 3, No 2) in coming weeks even though he can’t confidently tip him on debut tonight.
“He is a nice trotter we really like but obviously he can be tricky for younger trotters fresh-up.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.