Larsen heads to tomorrow’s Invercargill Trotting Club meeting with a big chance of landing the Autumn Cup with Bettor Ops.
A win would be some consolation for him not being able to drive the horse.
Fellow southerner Brent Barclay will take the reins on the Bettor’s Delight 4yr-old after Larsen was injured on Monday when he was kicked by a young horse.
"I’m off for a couple of weeks."
Bettor Ops had his first race since early January in Eamon Maguire’s track record-breaking win at Ascot Park last weekend. The hectic pace and the ground Bettor Ops made up on his rivals to run fourth made his effort a strong one.
The gelding has had only one workout leading into his resuming run, so Larsen, from his grandstand view, expects to see a fitter horse.
"He had a bit of a blow after the run which was understandable. It should only bring him on."
The horse faces a completely different challenge this week, going from a 2200m mobile to a 2700m standing start, but Larsen is not concerned.
"He has had one stand before and he was good."
Improved pacer Lambourne Road, a relative standing-start novice himself, is likely to be Bettor Ops’ main opponent. He was the only horse to make significant ground in Titan Banner’s Wyndham Cup demolition job.
At present, Bettor Ops sits 11th on the qualifying rankings of the Harness Jewels 4yr-old male pacers’ section.
But Larsen has no immediate plans to take on the country’s best 4yr-olds. The horse could trek to Addington for graded premier racing, but Bettor Ops’ main aim now is the Southern Country Cups final at Invercargill in April, Larsen said. A win in tomorrow’s Autumn Cup would elevate the pace in the ranking for that final.
Larsen’s only other horse racing tomorrow is among those testing the waters of harness racing’s new ratings system. Melina Lowe, with new driver Blair Orange, drops back from a tough run against progressive 3yr-old filly Trendy Bromac last weekend. Larsen has been pleased with the horse’s recent efforts and thinks she will be more competitive against similar horses under the new ratings system.
- Jonny Turner
