Previewing Omakau's Harness Racing Meeting on January 2nd
Jonny Turner • January 1st, 2026 8:45 PM • 5 min read
Craig Ferguson hopes playing chess rather than checkers with Wag Star will pay winning dividends in the Gr.3 Central Otago Cup. Ferguson heads to Omakau knowing he has a horse to match it with any of his rivals in the 2000m feature. So the trainer-driver has been doing everything he can to encourage his stable star to show it to the big crowd that will be watching at Central Otago’s biggest annual race meeting.
“He can be a moody horse and when he is on the job he can keep rolling at high speed and be very hard to get past.”
“Other times he can be a bit casual about everything and he doesn’t give you the same feeling.”
“We have been working on a few things lately to keep him happy and bring the best out in him.”
“We had a few troubles with his feet but we seem to be on top of them now.”
“We’ve changed his feed around and changed his work around and he seems to be in a good place at the moment.”
“He is the sort of horse where it can depend what sort of mood he is in on the day but everything is looking pretty positive going into Omakau.”
Wag Star brings the best possible form reference into the Central Otago Cup with his third behind Republican Party in the Gr.1 Invercargill Cup. The six-year-old sat parked early before slotting into the one-one and going a nice race.
“I was quite happy with his run it was his first run with the galloping hood on and he travelled well,” Ferguson said. “If he could go as well from the good draw (3) he has on Friday he would have to be a pretty good chance.”
Ferguson starts a strong team at the Omakau meeting including Turn N Burn who ran second on her debut on Invercargill Cup Day. While that looks strong form Ferguson wasn’t thrilled with the filly that he races himself.
“On the sectionals she ran she was a little bit average.”
“The occasion of her first start may have got to her a little bit because it wasn’t up to her trials.”
“She has improved with the run and her work has been quite sharp so hopefully she will be harder to beat this time.”
Babe On The Beach has been the big improver in the Ferguson camp this summer and she heads to Omakau in strong form.
“I reckon she has improved about three seconds this year.”
“She’s doing a bit of work and showing plenty of fight – she’s stepped up.” “
This week it will be a bit hard from the draw (12) but hopefully she can get a bit of luck and go another nice race.”
Ferguson also has Beluga and Franco Seb going head to head at Omakau.
“Beluga has been consistent lately and his work has stepped up a bit.”
“He’s got the draw and gate speed but he has made a mistake early so we will have to play it by ear.” “Franco Seb has been an improver his last run was handy enough.”
“He probably just needs a bit of luck from his draw (12).”
Ferguson drives most of his team with Mark Hurrell to partner Franco Seb and Riley Harrison to drive Babe On The Beach.
5 TO FOLLOW AT OMAKAU
This filly looks to hold a key tactical advantage over her key rivals. Every year it is vital that horses race close to the pace at Omakau as getting too far back can be disastrous.
Draws are an essential part of the equation, with barrier 2 looking a perfect spot for Turn N Burn. While her key rival Cinderella Franco has also drawn well in barrier 3, Turn N Burn holds a clear advantage.
If Turn N Burn can hold the lead it could prove too much of a task for Cinderella Franco to come from behind her or outside her to beat her.
He’s simply better than his rivals and it is going to take a big slice of bad luck for him to get beaten. Sonofamistery’s luck is surely due to turn after he had to be pulled up at his last start at Ascot Park due to a gear malfunction.
The three-year-old was impressive in his prior outing at Addington, running to an easy win.
At $1.14 he’s no win betting proposition but Sonofamistery’s race is part of the early quaddie, and there are Trifectas and First4s to consider.
This pacer turned trotter will traverse Australasia to have his first standing start at Omakau.
While the newcomer to the trotting gait brings all the right form, he hasn’t seen the standing start tapes once in his 51 starts.
It is certainly something for punters to ponder and it would be bold to think he is going to ping away quickly and settle right up on the pace. But there is one man that tips the scales of probability into the positive – the old master Phil Williamson.
Knowing Phil, he’s put the time into teaching He Aint Fakin the standing start ropes and will have him prepped to make a safe getaway if circumstances allow. While some of his rivals are handy types, the eight-year-old should take plenty of holding out if he trots safely.
There aren’t the same concerns over One Over Da Line’s standing start prowess, though there are some similarities between him and He Aint Fakin.
Both trotters are out to secure penalty-free wins for their junior drivers. One clear advantage One Over Da Line has is that his driver Riley Harrison knows him well.
The trotter brings strong form in stronger company than he meets at Omakau and looks one of the stronger winning threats on the card
He’s another whose winning price isn’t inspiring but that’s beyond punters’ control. Palladium was excellent in his last-start second at Ascot Park among a quality field of two-year-olds.
He hadn’t been sighted at the races since early October and that run is sure to have tightened him up for his Omakau mission.
In that October win, Palladium handled older horses in style suggesting that stepping out of age-group company and back in amongst hardy types won’t be a problem. After being a touch unlucky in his last-start second, chances are he will be in front and out of trouble this time.
