Racing: Habibi aims to remain unbeaten

Sangster (right) is carrying some weight in tomorrow's $85,000 Avondale Gold Cup at Ellerslie. Photo / Getty Images

Sacred Falls will take on Rebel Dane in the Royal Sovereign Stakes at Rosehill tonight.

This is the weekend for the unbeaten clashes.

Tomorrow, excitement machine Habibi attempts to keep her winning picket fence formline intact and by tonight one of the two unbeaten colts in Sydney will be beaten for the first time.

New Zealand hero Sacred Falls, now trained in Sydney by Chris Waller, will take on Rebel Dane in the A$175,000 Royal Sovereign Stakes at Rosehill.

Sacred Falls is six from six and Rebel Dane is unbeaten in three outings for Warwick Farm trainer Gary Portelli.

Australian bookmakers have Rebel Dane the $2.60 favourite over Sacred Falls at $3.50.

Ashokan, to be ridden by James McDonald, is third favourite at $5.50, but this is seen as a race between two.

Sacred Falls will once again be ridden by Leith Innes, who made an earlier special trip to Sydney to ride the colt in a barrier trial.

Chris Waller said yesterday he would prefer to see Sacred Falls settle a little handier to the speed than he traditionally did in New Zealand.

All eyes will be on Habibi when she tackles the $85,000 The Falls Restaurant/Avondale Guineas.

She is the sole filly in the race and the pressure is on trainers Dean and Donna Logan. "Yes, you are always aware of it when horses are unbeaten," says Dean Logan.

At the draws the horse to beat is Choice Bro, who looked magnificent in winning at Ellerslie last start after being caught in a pocket early in the run home.

From the No2 gate, Choice Bro is going to get a great drag along behind the speed for Jonathan Riddell. The colt has yet to prove he can run 2100m successfully, but if he can he will make the finish of this race interesting.

Weissmuller is likely to find a track more yielding than the one he failed to hit out on in the Guineas at Te Rapa.

He is a class act and if he gets conditions to suit, he will be right there.

Castlzeberg's Waikato Guineas win was no fluke. He simply outstayed them and the 2100m will not trouble him.

Sangster is nowhere near as well placed in tomorrow's $85,000 Cardinal Logistics Avondale Gold Cup as he was in last week's victory in the $200,000 Darci Brahma International. Nor as well placed as he will be in the Auckland Cup next month.

But even with the 59kg, he looked so devastating last week he is still the horse to beat.

My Scotsgrey and Blood Brotha are classy stayers and there is potential for an upset among the others.