By BARRY STREET
Jim Gibbs had no compunction, as a representative of a track inspection committee, in declaring Te Rapa unsafe after the fourth race of the Waikato Racing Club's meeting on Saturday.
And yesterday the master Matamata trainer was just as profound about his plans for the remaining six Waikato races due to be run on a wetter track today.
The postponement - the third on Highview (Waikato) Guineas day in recent years - came about because of light rain falling on a firm track and turning the footing slippery.
"I've got five horses due to go round tomorrow, but they will all be coming out," Gibbs said.
"I would like to support the club because I believe it did the right thing on Saturday and deserves the support of trainers.
"But we have had an awful lot more rain since yesterday, so I have had to consider my horses, their chances and the betting public.
"I can only say that, under the circumstances, Butterscotch, Napoleon, Selenium, Spritza and Ally McBeal would only be horses going round at the back of the field.
"It would be a waste of time."
It was just as likely that three of the Eric Betty-Jim Gibbs team for the Auckland Racing Club's Melbourne Cup day meeting at Ellerslie tomorrow would be scratched, Gibbs said.
Butterscotch was among the favourites with Millenium and Star Satire for the Highview Guineas, now due to be run today at 3.21 pm.
In the next few days Gibbs and his partner will weigh up other options for Butterscotch.
She could race at Tauranga next Saturday week as a lead-up to the $150,000 Bayer Classic at Otaki on November 30.
Another option was to oppose older horses with a fair pull in the weights in the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes at Pukekohe on November 25.
Star Satire's trainer, Ross Taylor, has indicated he could also pursue the Tauranga-Bayer Classic path.
In Gibbs's opinion, the Highview Guineas now looks a "Millenium benefit."
Co-trainer Stephen McKee, of Takanini, does not expect any cakewalk today for Millenium, even though he is unbeaten so far in a maiden 1200m at Te Aroha and the Lindauer Guineas at Ellerslie, both in soft ground.
"A soft track for the Highview would be fine, but we wouldn't want it to turn out a slog," McKee said yesterday.
"At this stage the horse is ready to run a mile [1600m] at Te Rapa and again in the Bayer Classic.
"After that we could then decide whether to chance our arm further in the New Zealand Derby.
"Up till now he's been a free-going front runner. But we don't believe he has to be in front, setting the pace.
"The way he loafed along in the middle stages of the Lindauer Guineas indicates he could settle off the pace.
"He's a bit different, you might say, from [last season's star 3-year-old, now deceased] Buzz Lightyear, who liked his own way."
The Lindauer Guineas place-getters, La Bella Dama and Komplete Kaos, could again be Millenium's toughest rivals today, McKee said.
Danamite could be an "unknown" danger after scoring in soft, shifty footing at Rotorua, albeit against maiden horses, because he looked pretty good doing it.
Racing: Resumed Te Rapa could be light
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