By Michael Guerin
New Zealand’s best performed pacer of 2025 is going to keep us waiting.
Because Republican Party may not be seen back on the racetrack until October.
Co-trainer Cran Dalgety revealed the surprising plan to HRNZ today, saying the Auckland Cup and multiple Group 1 winner is on a three-race preparation for the $1m IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup on Tuesday, November 11.
“He has come up great and looks fantastic,” says Dalgety.
“But he is still about three weeks away from trialing.
“We are looking at starting back at the races in early October and then heading to the Flying Stakes at Ashburton.
“We can then probably have one more run before the Cup and then it is all on.”
Dalgety says the slightly later return has come about for two reasons.
“The open class season for these really top horses is so busy these days once they are up and running there really is no break.
“Once he goes to the Cup he can head to the Free-For-All, Invercargill Cup, Auckland Cup and then there are a whole lot of big races in Victoria before the Miracle Mile carnival.
“Then it is back here for the Race by Betcha and the Alexandra Park races.
“I am not saying he will head to all those races but he has the option to so we’d rather not go too early.”
Dalgety says he and wife Chrissie have the luxury of a three-race prep for the New Zealand Cup because Republican Party is now an open class veteran.
“He doesn’t need to learn or adapt to it any more. He knows what it is all about so he can slide straight back into it.
“But it is very exciting the options a horse like him has these days.”
The Dalgetys were also stoked to win the first New Zealand harness race for the TAB Racing Club at Addington last Friday when Eun Sogno won on debut.
Eun Sogno roughly translates to “a dream” in Italian, with the juvenile a son of former great filly One Dream.
“We were surprised not because we didn’t think he had the ability but because there were a couple of really nice horses in there we thought might be more advanced.
“So to beat them the way he did with some pretty fast closing sectionals suggest he has a bright future.”