Tapanui-bred pacer Arden Rooney is likely to be back at South Bay Racecourse on Monday to defend his Kaikoura Cup crown.
The 6yr-old is one of 13 nominations for Monday's group 2 feature over 2400m, along with the surprise return of last year's New Zealand Cup runner-up, Franco Nelson, who is yet to be seen this season.
As can so often happen in harness racing, rumours have swirled around like Hamilton fog about Franco Nelson's potential injuries or otherwise.
If Franco Nelson starts in the Kaikoura Cup, it leaves him just over a week to be ready and race-fit for the New Zealand Cup, a tough ask when other contenders have been racing since as early as late August.
Arden Rooney took a while to find his feet this season, but gave a reminder of his staying prowess with a handlebars-down approach to win the Swan Hill Cup 10 days ago.
Ashburton Flying Stakes placegetter Mossdale Conner also features in the nominations, as does the Graeme Anderson-trained Belkmyster.
Anderson has nominated his last-start Tuapeka Cup winner Titan Banner for the $50,000 PGG Wrightson Sales Series Aged Pace at Kaikoura, but also for the Riverton Cup at Ascot Park on Sunday.
Titan Banner would start off 20m at Kaikoura, but would cop a back mark of 40m if he went to Ascot Park for the 2700m pace.
Riversdale trainer Tony Stratford's plan to take Pulp Fiction to Kaikoura for the Sales Series race has come to fruition.
He will start off 20m alongside Titan Banner, Risk and Lewy Risk if all four accept for the race.
• Harness Racing New Zealand has stripped Canterbury horseman Mike Stratford of all three of his licences following a meeting last week.
Stratford attempted to drive with a metal-lined whip in an amateur drivers' race at Addington on September 11.
The whip was taken off him prior to the race.
Stratford's advanced amateur horseman licence, his trials horseman's licence and his licence to train were all cancelled, Harness Racing New Zealand chief executive Edward Rennell said yesterday.
''HRNZ believes animal welfare considerations are paramount to the sustainability and integrity of the harness racing industry,'' he said.
''The actions of Mr Stratford fell below the expectations of a licence holder and HRNZ does not consider it appropriate that he holds a licence at the present time.''
