By MIKE DILLON
No one likes to see a top horse go astray, but Bruce Marsh will have to pretend he is disappointed Cent Home is absent from tomorrow's $100,000 Hawkes Bay Challenge Stakes.
Cent Home topped off Marsh's best galloper Cheiron in the last stride in the Mudgway Partsworld Stakes and Chieron now gets his chance at a major stake.
The barrier draw in Mudgway Partsworld was always going to be important, but the No 1 gate turned out to have almost certainly cost Cheiron victory.
Although it was only for a few strides that Cheiron was held up for racing room in the home straight when locked up behind horses, it was sufficient to check his momentum and allow Cent Home to drive past in the last 10m.
This time he has the reverse problem of barrier No 8 from the tricky 1600m start at Hastings with its short run to the first bend. The danger in a small field is being caught wide in midfield. Brian Hibberd may be better dropping back and riding for luck in the closing stages.
Bruce Marsh said yesterday he will be happy to see Cheiron slide around the middle of the field early and hope to get a handy sit.
Cinder Bella looked similarly unlucky in the closing stages of the Mudgway Partsworld Stakes, except in her case she at no stage worked into the clear. On the strength of that she may challenge Cheiron for favouritism.
Punters love Integrate. She always gives her best, she is racing at her pet distance and there was plenty to like about her close fourth to Cent Home last start.
If the fabulous line-up of fillies made the $40,000 Highview Stakes difficult to analyse, the barrier draw has made it migraine inducing.
Spring Rain has barrier 16, Playful Fingers 18, Butterscotch 12, Star Satire 11 and Mine D'Or 14.
If you can work out the configuration of the field at the end of the first 400m, give up racing and hire yourself out as a computer.
Trainer Roger James has said Spring Rain will be competitive, but is slightly vulnerable for fitness, yet in terms of class she is outstanding.
Butterscotch is underrated, Playful Fingers may still have the brilliance to cross the field early and get to the rail and Conquistar should be in for a big season.
The $40,000 Side Line Bay Hawkes Bay Guineas will be the first step in establishing a 3-year-old male cross reference of class.
There is no reference to compare the likes of talented Vulpix with unbeaten Quesada.
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