Coveted Cup berth awaits Maurice Holmes Vase winner
Matt Markham - Raceform • August 21st, 2025 2:00 PM • 4 min read
You might not win a New Zealand Trotting Cup in August, but you can at least secure yourself a place in the field, as connections of the runners in this week’s Gr. 3 Maurice Holmes Vase at Addington are well aware.
With the golden egg of a free ticket into the big dance on the second Tuesday in November for the winner, this week carries an immense amount of weight, especially for those with some uncertainty around exactly where they will fall in the all-important rankings – the first round of which are released early next month.
This year could see the most intense battle yet in the race to be one of the 15 chosen to face the starter in the Cup, with three spots already locked down by Swayzee, Leap To Fame and Republican Party, plus the potential for another four to be taken up by the automatic-entry races like the Maurice Holmes Vase this week.
That means close to half of the field could be determined by the middle of October, and from there it will be all on in the race for one of those final places in the great race.
One of those chasing a spot is progressive pacer Mo’unga, and Regan Todd knows just how important this week could be.
“There’s a bit riding on it, for sure,” he told RaceForm. “Taking that pressure off of having to chase a spot, especially when the really good ones step out later on, would be great.”
Mo’unga began his campaign in the National Handicap a fortnight ago and while his effort for sixth behind Alta Meteor might not look anything flash, sectionally off a 30m backmark he couldn’t have gone any better.
“He was great I thought, and he seems to have thrived off that run and I’ve been over the moon with his training since.”
The race changed complexion before the fields were even released earlier this week with likely favourite Alta Meteor missing from the nominations after a slight setback which was enough to rule him out of the race.
The Stonewall Stud rising star might have been simply too good for his rivals had he been there, but his defection opens the door for someone else to book their Cup ticket.
“I think being a little closer in the handicaps this week will help us, we should settle a spot or two closer than what we did first up and they look like they’ll roll along again which will suit him.”
Robbie Close will reunite with Mo’unga this week, having missed his first-up run due to suspension. He was a keen observer from the sidelines for that run and really liked what he saw.
“I thought he ran on super and knowing him, he would have taken a lot of benefit from getting that run under the belt.
“You couldn’t have asked for much more from him from the handicap. I know Alta Meteor started off the same mark, but he settled a lot closer to the speed than we did.”
There’s still a head start to give this week too, but it’s only a 10m one and with everything else in front of him, Close will have the option of picking his path early and hopefully following the right horse.
After leading and trailing in the National Handicap, Franco Marek and American Me – who finished second and third respectively – look likely to land that way again this week with one of the real interest points the emergence of Bazooka for Steven Reid as a potential Cup contender.
