The Mark and Nathan Purdon-trained Akuta is a $2.10 favourite to win the group 3 Hannon Memorial at Oamaru tomorrow for a second time.
His previous win was in 2022.
If Akuta wins this weekend, he will do what Blossom Lady and Johnny Globe have done before and that is win two Hannon Memorials three years apart.
Blossom Lady won in 1990 and 1993 — as well as winning the New Zealand Cup in 1992 — while Johnny Globe won his Hannon Memorials in 1951 and 1954, the same year he won his New Zealand Cup.
Akuta is having his fourth race this campaign after being sidelined with a serious tendon injury.
He won two starts ago in Auckland and was then fifth in last Friday's New Brighton Cup at Addington, won by Alta Meteor.
The Hannon, which has been raced since 1938, is named in memory of Michael Joseph Hannon, an Omaru dentist who went on to become the president of the Oamaru Trotting Club from 1921 to 1938.
Only four horses have won back-to-back Hannon Memorials. They are Palestine (1976-77), Idolmite (1980-81), Iraklis (1997-98) and Franco Ledger (2012-13).
The fastest time of 3min 13.4sec (since it went to 2600m in 1976) is shared by Cullen's Creek who set his in 2010 and Spankem who equalled it in 2019.
Tomorrow only two horses are backing up from last year's race. They are Macandrew Aviator, who was third last year, and Da Vinci who was seventh.
The two horses to win since Akuta's last success have been Aardie's Express (2023) and Republican Party (2024).
• The battle to be Waitaki's next mayor will take an interesting twist at Oamaru tomorrow.
Four mayoral candidates — Guy Percival, Melanie Tavendale, Kelli Williams and David Wilson — will be involved in a dual sulky race between races 5 and 6. — HRNZ
