Standing start set to be crucial in G1 Invercargill Cup

Jonny Turner Harness Racing Journalist

The few seconds after the ping of the standing start tapes could prove to be a vital factor in deciding the Group One Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup on Friday.

Southland’s biggest harness race is a clash of rising stars with the very progressive types like Mo’unga, Rakero Rocket and Pinseeker taking on Republican Party who is one of few seasoned open class veterans in the feature event.

Rakero Rocket comes south after a career defining victory, beating Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming in the recent Group One The Christian Cullen at Addington.

Drawing the front line looks a barrier 5 looks a clear advantage for the Tom Bamford trained pacer, who comes south after making an excellent beginning to win his latest standing start, in the Timaru Cup.

But before that, the talented four-year-old made mistakes in his two prior stands in the Aged Sales Series Classic at Kaikoura and in the Oamaru Cup.

To make his quest for back-to-back Group One wins easier and to assert himself as an open class star,  Rakero Rocket’s camp and fans will want to see him make the kind of beginning he made in his Timaru victory.

And if he can, the pacer could be dangerously positioned close to the speed, as he was in The Christian Cullen.

Mo’unga fans are in the same spot heading into Invercargill’s big day.

The Regan Todd trained pacer made good beginnings in every start of his spring campaign before getting things wrong early in his latest stand outing in the New Zealand Cup.

Starting alongside just one other rival from the 10m mark in Republican Party, there look few excuses for Mo’unga not to be able to step away cleanly at Ascot Park.

And if the pacer can produce one of his best beginnings, as he did in the Kaikoura Cup, he could make up his 10m handicap very quickly and be within striking distance early in Friday’s feature.

Charlie Brown brings one of the best recent standing start records to Invercargill having stepped away cleanly in each of his spring outings.

To further boost his claims, the Robert and Jenna Dunn trained pacer comes into Ascot Park’s Group One on the back of his slashing second in the Group One The Christian Cullen behind Rakero Rocket.

The only factor against Charlie Brown looks to be his precarious draw in barrier 9, where he will start directly behind the rank outsider of the Invercargill Cup in Mikey Maguire.

But with the four-year-old being the only horse on the second line, there is good hope that driver John Dunn can negotiate a decent early passage forward.