Trainer Phil Williamson will attempt to win one of the few major trotting races in New Zealand not on his glittering CV when Majestic Man and Monty Python start in Australasia’s toughest squaregaiting test.
Majestic Man’s barrier 4 draw looks perfect for the fast-beginning trotter, who will be driven by the trainer’s son, Brad.
However, it could turn into a nightmare alley if the horse is trapped in the middle of a fight for the lead with Big Jack Hammer (1) and favourite Winterfell (2), who are drawn inside him.
With that in mind, the Williamsons are taking a ‘‘we did not come all the way to Auckland not to give it everything’’ attitude to tonight’s race.
“We will die knowing, we won’t die wondering,” Phil Williamson said.
“We have to have a crack at the start... because if we end up parked early, there will be all those horses drawn behind us coming around and we will get shuffled back.”
Big Jack Hammer and Winterfell both have high gate speed and could hold Majestic Man out from crossing to the front if their drivers choose.
The Williamsons cannot control what their rivals will do but they can control Majestic Man’s preparation.
And the horse’s Interdominion campaign could not have gone much better. He produced arguably the best run of the trotting series by a beaten runner on night one, when third behind Winterfell, before backing that up with a big win on night two and a solid third, again behind Winterfell.
“He has done very well during the week and I am very happy with him,” Williamson said.
If he can win, it will hand Brad Williamson his first group 1 win as a driver in one of Australasia’s biggest trotting races.
The reinsman went close to joining brothers Matthew and Nathan as elite-level winners at last season’s Harness Jewels when Cracker Hill ran second to Bolt For Brilliance.
Commitments at the Williamson’s Oamaru stable mean regular driver Matthew Williamson is unable to drive Monty Python and win his third group 1 event.
Northern reinsman Tony Cameron will take the reins behind the 10yr-old.
Cameron works at Tony Herlihy’s stable, where Williamson’s horses have been based during the Interdominions.
The Williamson stable got a pleasant surprise yesterday when Monty Python gained a start in tonight’s final.
The 10yr-old will get the chance to go two places better than his third behind Tornado Valley in last year’s race after Habibi Inta was scratched.
Williamson said Monty Python needed a hot pace to be competitive tonight.
“They probably need to break the New Zealand record by two or three seconds and for them to run home in 58 or 59sec.’’
Winterfell cemented his place as the series favourite with that national record-breaking victory in last week’s final heats.
The All Stars trotter was backed into a $1.85 fixed odds win price following a glowing report from his stable this week.
Majestic Man has been rated at $3.30, ahead of Marcoola at $5.50.
Monty Python has been rated at massive $201 win odds.
