It was the fifth straight win for the 3yr-old.
Dalgety had not intended to start Bettor's Strike in the Cup, considering it was too tough racing a 3yr-old over 3200m.
The distance yesterday was 2300m"He sprinted his final quarter in 26.9 and left the others flat footed. The Cup field is much the same," Dalgety said.
"I will discuss it with the owners [Jim and Susan Wakefield] and see how he comes through the race."
Dalgety won the two main races at the Marlborough winter meeting in 2003 with the 3yr-old Scorching, also owned by the Wakefields.
Scorching ran 4.07.5 in the Cup.
His time stands as a New Zealand record for a 3yr-old.
It was the 50th training success for Dalgety this season.
His previous best for a season was 46 wins in 2000-01.
He has won 433 races since he began training in the 1991-92 season.
The Tin Man set a a track record for a trotter yesterday when he won over 2300m in 2.59.2, a 2.00.3 mile rate.
It was the first time his Te Horo (near Otaki) owner-breeder Jenny Becker had been on course to see one of her horses race.
The Tin Man has won four races since joining the Leithfield Beach stable of Robbie Holmes as a maiden in November.
He qualified at Orari in December, 2006, when trained at Methven by Carl Markham.
Holmes has won races for Becker with Tehoro Flirt and Tehoro Mistletoe.
Holme Comfort, who won in track record time at Richmond Park last Sunday, has been sold to Melbourne.
Holme Comfort was having his fourth start when he won a maiden race in 2.57.9 for 2400m (mobile) for Kaikoura trainer Grant Anderson.
The 4yr-old raced for Anderson's wife, Linda, who bred the son of Holmes Hanover and Patricia Midfrew.
Anderson, who has "five or six" horses in work, won maiden races yesterday with Supreme Courage and Lyrical Star.
Supreme Courage was one of three wins yesterday for reinsman Terry Chmiel.
The others were Roadnight Charlie and Genes West.
Chmiel is the trainer of Roadnight Charlie, who was having his first start.
The Courage Under Fire 4yr-old is the first foal of Ada Hardy, by Holmes Hanover.
