Auckland Reactor Rolling Along

Auckland Reactor is now two for two in the 2012 Inter Dominion being held at Gloucester Park in Australia after last night's second round, winning an easy victory in a mile rate of 1:55.1 (converted to the North American's fifths) over a good track for the 2,100 meters (race replay available here; look for race number 4).  Of course, Auckland Reactor is not the only horse to be two for two as Themightyquinn and Smoken Up scored victories as well as they both won in identical 1:55.2 mile rate timings.  For those interested, you can follow the Inter Dominion at this website ( Harnesslink.com also has an article with the race replay also available).

This season, as a seven year old, Auckland Reactor has simply blossomed as he has won four of six starts and approximately NZ$186,000 thus far which leads me to think we got short changed when the Reactor had a disasterous experience in North America.  I know some people blame his North American trainer Kelvin Harrison for the disaster or claimed the Reactor was a bomb.  On the other hand, I think we never had the opportunity to see the real Auckland Reactor in the Northern Hemisphere as he launched his campaign in the heat and humidity of the summer, something which he really didn't experience in his homeland..  Then it was discovered that he was flipping his palate and before he was shipped back down to New Zealand, he had surgery to correct the problem.  Upon his return he has been racing well, though he has been sidelined at times due to injury.

I realize it is all speculation, but if Auckland Reactor had his surgery and resumed his campaign in the winter, I suspect he could have raced much better and by the summer we may have seen the real Auckland Reactor racing in the United States and Canada instead of a horse that was having problems.  Unfortunately, the owners who had brought him to the United States took a gamble hoping to develop a champion for whom they could have stood at stud.  Once that fell through, they were in a rush to get rid of him and sent him back to New Zealand.

I just wish the North American ownership had tbe patience to give Auckland Reactor another chance,  Unfortunately, that was not the case and I think we were truly deprived of the opportunity to see the New Zealand super horse at his best and for that, we are poorer for it.