NZB Standardbred graduate Krug (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) reminded harness racing fans of his immense class with a brilliant victory in the $30,000 Group Three Dunstan Horsefeeds Junior Free-For-All (2600m) at Addington on New Zealand Cup Day.
Switching back to a mobile start allowed the Cran and Chrissie Dalgety trained pacer to use his searing speed at both ends of his commanding win for driver Blair Orange.
The Group Three win is the latest in a string of blacktype victories the two-time Derby winner has added to his resume following his purchase at the 2019 Christchurch National Yearling Sale.
The classy colt was knocked down to the Dalgetys’ under their Kentuckiana Lodge banner for $155,000, securing him from Smolenski Stables.
Cran Dalgety was thrilled to see Krug show his best on New Zealand’s biggest day of harness racing.
“It was a great result and very satisfying,” Dalgety said.
“He couldn’t show his best from the standing starts in his last two, but we were still confident physically he was very well within himself.
“To come out today and run a good time and run home in very fast sectionals is a relief.”
Proof of Krug’s speed was evident in his brilliant 54.1 seconds closing 800 metres.
The Dalgety stable will now consider a start in the $200,000 Group One Mediaworks New Zealand Free-For-All (2000m) at Addington on Friday.
“We would love to be there,” Dalgety said.
“We will monitor how he comes through today’s run, but at this stage we have every intention of lining up.
“I would like to think he is well up to competing with the good ones at that level and today’s performance has given us a bit more confidence.”
Krug has accepted for the New Zealand Free-For-All and will start from barrier 4.
