Racing: Patriarch back on track

Graeme Rogerson is bringing six horses to the Livamol Classic meeting in Hastings tomorrow despite his strong views on the abandoned Windsor Park Plate meeting. Photo / Warren Buckland

When Graeme Rogerson says something, people in the thoroughbred industry generally tend to listen.

As a matter of fact, a fortnight ago Rogerson didn't mince words when the Windsor Park Plate meeting was abandoned after three races in Hastings.

However, the New Zealand Racing Hall of Famer says he isn't in the habit of looking in the rear-vision mirror of life.

"Going forward I hope everyone learns from that experience," said the stalwart from Tuhikaramea, near Hamilton, after stewards aborted the group 1 Windsor Park Plate meeting because a stretch of the track was deemed to be treacherous around the 800m mark.

"The track should have been aerated the night before.

"Tracks all around the world are getting aerated," says Rogerson, before bringing six horses to the Hawke's Bay Racing Club's final leg of the three JB Bostock Spring Racing Carnival meetings tomorrow.

Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Rogerson, who is also an owner and breeder, has been coming to Hastings meetings for 49 years and says water on the track was an issue but pushing the rail out on the corner added to the problem.

Nevertheless, he is satisfied contingency plans are in place to prevent a recurrence.

"I'm very happy to race at Hawke's Bay so anytime they'll put one on I'll be there.

"Whether I win anything or not, I hope the club has a great day on Saturday because they deserve it."

The Graeme and Debbie Rogerson-trained Lucky Edie, with Johnathon Parkes in the saddle, will emerge from gate 7 in the group two $100,000 Sacred Falls HB Guineas over 1400m at 2.35pm.

"He's a nice horse, perhaps a little overused in the Wanganui Guineas," he says of the 1340m listed race early last month on a heavy-10 track.

Rogerson is quick to point out Lucky Edie's grandmother, Jezabeel, won the 1998 Melbourne cup.

He has factored in the 3-year-old bay gelding for the Sothys 43rd NZ 2000 Guineas at Riccarton on November 7.

The barrier isn't ideal but "it's all right because you take what you get and I'm used to it".

The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained Scrutinized is among the favourites and also earmarked for the Riccarton Guineas but the former was cellphone shy on Wednesday.

The 3-year-old Savabeel bay colt's mother Legs won the 2040m Kelt Capital Stakes (Livamol Classic) in 2006 with Lisa Cropp in the saddle.

Rogerson is a "great fan" of the Savabeel lineage but believes all the other horses in the field of 15 tomorrow will be hard to beat.

"It's no good worrying about the others."

Enter the Rogersons' 2014 two-time group one winner Soriano in the feature $250,000 Livamol Classic at 4.38pm.

Graeme Rogerson highlighted Soriano's third place in the classic here last October after stablemate Costume stole the limelight by winning at 50-1 odds.

"I thought Soriano was going to win last year. I love the great mare," he says of the 6-year-old by Savabeel, although he is underwhelmed with the No15 barrier.

Last year's top apprentice rider Rory Hutchings returns from Sydney to ride Soriano.

The couple have three hopefuls in the postponed $70,000 HB Breeders Gold Trail Stakes from the Windsor Park meeting a fortnight ago.

Maritimo (Parkes), Serena Miss (Leith Innes) and Thwayya (Hutchings) have their jobs cut out in the 1200m dash for 3-year-old fillies to start at 1.43pm.

"They are all group winners," notes the patriarch of training.