After producing one of the runs of the race in last year’s New Zealand Cup, Republican Party will return faster, stronger and hopefully wiser in 2024.
The Kentuckiana Lodge pacer will be out to improve on his stellar fifth placing in 2023 when he starts in the million dollar feature on Tuesday.
Republican Party returns with the benefit of a year of top level racing under his belt which trainers Cran and Chrissie Dalgety hope will stand their stable star in great stead.
“His run in the cup last year was huge, he broke at the start and set himself an almighty task before storming home for fifth,” Cran said.
“His inexperience with standing starts was costly, but a year on he has really got the hang of it.”
“We have our fingers and toes and everything else crossed that he can get away well on Tuesday, and we are hopeful he can because he’s a bit older and a bit wiser now.”
“The year he has had against these older horses has been a real hardner for him.”
“You can be an age-group start but open class is a different beast and now he’s firmly established himself at that level.”
The New Zealand Cup buildup has been something of a roller-coaster, especially in terms of who may or may not be coming to the great race.
But amidst all of that chaos Republican Party has been a constant.
“His runs this time in have all been excellent, he has built to peak fitness nicely and we really feel like he will be at his very best on Tuesday,” Cran said.
“We will have him wrapped in cotton wool and under 24 hour observation until the tapes go, but so far we couldn’t really have asked for more.”
“We go into the race confident we have a horse that is very competitive if he gets any luck come his way.”
“We won’t say we are better than anyone one else, but we know we wouldn’t back down to anyone either.”
“We might have traded up for a slightly better draw, but we wouldn’t change any other factor.”
Carter Dalgety will take the reins for the third time in a New Zealand Cup after two previous outings with retired Kentuckiana pacer Krug.
The reinsman will also return a bigger force in 2024.
“We are thrilled with the way Carter is driving and it’s going to be another thrill again to hand the reins to him on Tuesday,” Cran said.
“He’s won plenty of races since last year and with his experiences in America he has grown as a driver.”
Republican Party will start in the New Zealand Cup for a great ownership group including Grant Dickey, Ken Cummings, Gary Merlo, Julie Rooney, Greg Ayers, David Schollum, Bernard Smith, the First Term Syndicate the A & M Syndicate and Chrissie.
