The New Zealand Trotting Cup lost two of its headline acts -- Auckland Reactor and Blacks A Fake -- while another Australian raider Smoken Up was all but confirmed today.
Canterbury trainer Mark Purdon confirmed Auckland Reactor would miss the $1 million NZ Cup (3200m) at Addington in Christchurch on November 10, due to his poor standing start manners, and would contest mobile start events that week instead.
The horse's owners have endorsed Purdon's recommendation to miss the Cup after Auckland Reactor botched the start at four separate attempts at the Motukarara workouts on Saturday.
"He just couldn't get his feet to go in the right order and he made a horrible mess of it on the last occasion. He just can't seem to get away on the right foot," Purdon told Sydney's Sky Sports Radio.
"I don't know whether I'd say he'd never be able to do it but the time frame between now and the New Zealand Cup is not long enough, in my opinion.
"There's also the risk involved for the value of the horse. If he drove through and hit a tendon or a suspensory, then you're out of business. He's just too valuable for what's ahead of him."
Purdon emailed Auckland Reactor's Canadian owners with his plans to miss the Cup, and they told him through their New Zealand representative John Curtin they were comfortable with the decision.
It means Auckland Reactor will follow the same programme as last year, the $40,000 free-for-all on Cup day followed by the $250,000 NZ Free-For-All, which he won last year, three days later.
Purdon said Auckland Reactor would then cross the Tasman for the Miracle Mile in Sydney on November 29, then head to Melbourne for the Victoria Cup a fortnight later.
Auckland Reactor was then scheduled to head to North America in either late December or early January, Purdon said.
Meanwhile, Australian champion Blacks A Fake's trainer-driver Natalie Rasmussen confirmed they would bypass the NZ Cup after winning the group one Queensland Pacing Championship on Friday.
"As much as we would all love to head over for the Cup, we have decided it's in his best interests to remain here in Australia and concentrate on the Miracle Mile... we all feel that's the best option for him at this stage of his career," she said.
But there was some good news for Addington officials, with Smoken Up's Victorian trainer Lance Justice flying to Christchurch today to check on stabling options.
Despite his reputation as one of Australia's fastest pacers, with two wins in the group one Len Smith Mile, Justice is confident with Smoken Up over the 3200m distance.
"I think at this stage it's pretty safe to say we're going to New Zealand for the Cup," he said.
"I've only had him in a 3200m race once, the Hunter Cup, and he got beaten by the shortest of short margins by Blacks A Fake."
Justice said the NZ Cup was a more appealing prospect with Auckland Reactor and Blacks A Fake missing.
"You can't scoff at the fact that the NZ Cup is worth $1 million, even if it is NZ dollars, and it's going to be a race that's probably winnable for him."
Changeover was a $3.50 favourite in the TAB's revised Cup market today, with Monkey King and Kiwi Ingenuity sharing the second line at $6 and Smoken Up at $12.
NZPA