Karaka Millions rumour mill shifts into overdrive as market fluctuates

By Michael Guerin

The horse that could cost the TAB bookies $1 million will get his first look at Ellerslie tomorrow even after a wild drift in the Karaka Million markets turbo-charged racing’s rumour mill.

Cool N Fast has been backed to win $1 million in the 2-year-old race at Ellerslie on January 27, the Boys Get Paid racing fan group having $50,000 on him at $21 for their annual Karaka Million Punter’s Club.

That coupled with an impressive debut victory at Pukekohe on Boxing Day saw him shorten into $3.50 favourite for the signature race of Karaka Millions night but he drifted out to $5 with the TAB yesterday while stablemate Bellatrix Star was backed into $3.50.

That was enough for observant punters to get suspicious and in an industry where two plus two often equals five, there were plenty thinking Cool N Fast may have a soreness issue and the king of the Karaka Millions, jockey Opie Bosson, could be about to confirm Bellatrix Star as his ride for the $1m race.

Co-trainer Sam Bergerson says the rumours left the stable shaking their collective heads yesterday.

“We heard it like everybody else but have no idea how it started and it isn’t true,” Bergerson told the Herald.

“Cool N Fast is fine and both he and Bellatrix Star will join some others of ours heading to Ellerslie to gallop on Friday.

“They are both on track for the Karaka Millions and I’d say at this stage Opie is still more likely to ride Cool N Fast.”

While that will come as a relief to the Boys Get Paid and others who have backed Cool N Fast, Bergerson says the track work sessions on Friday should make the Karaka Millions night picture clearer.

Not only will Cool N Fast and Bellatrix Star gallop there to familiarise themselves with Ellerslie but so too will Karaka Millions favourite Velocious, who will be having her second track gallop on the new StrathAyr surface.

Other big names participating in the gallops which start at 7am include $1.5million Three-Year-Old KM favourite Molly Bloom, Auckland Guineas winner Pendragon, Lupo Solitario and exciting 4-year-old Adam I Am.

“We should know a little more after the gallops but for clarification around who rides the 2-year-olds, Warren Kennedy will gallop Bellatrix Star on Friday because he is more likely to ride her in the Millions.

“But that final decision may not be made until after the draw next week.”

Bergerson confirms last season’s KM winner Tokyo Tycoon will take his place in the Three-Year-Old race next week even after a rollercoaster start to the season and he will have the blinkers added but last Saturday’s group 1 Levin Classic winner Quintessa won’t contest the $1.5m race.

That could also be the case for another star filly in Mary Shan, with trainer Andrew Forsman saying she is highly unlikely to start in the KM Three-Year-OId but he will be lining up Ethereal Star after her second at Ellerslie on Sunday.

Forsman has already scratched Aegon from Saturday’s Thorndon Mile at Trentham after his dreadful run with barrier draws continued so he will be saved for either the BCD Sprint at Te Rapa or the $400,000 Trackside Classic at Ōtaki next month.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission