RACING
Racing at Awapuni tomorrow is the last tango in Paris for Wairarapa trainers who want to add to their season's win tally and the district will be represented by eight runners.
The feature is the Ryder Stakes for 2-year-olds and it has drawn a very good line-up, ensuring a good contest and Wairarapa will be represented by Mossimo.
Andrew Campbell prepares the son of Mossman and despite putting in a couple of promising performances this winter the Opaki gelding has to be considered one of the field's outsiders.
He has drawn the rank outside alley, too, which may not aid his chances and with the likes of the Cambridge youngster Orbity and John Sargent's gelding Dugan in the field, Mossimo would be a turn-up for the books if he succeeded in winning this.
That said Campbell is no slug when it comes to nutting out a campaign and has notched up some pretty good victories over the years.
He has not long been back training and Mossimo has shown enough with a brace of third placings to indicate he will get his day in the winner's circle.
Alby MacGregor will parade Fritzy Boy in race two, an open handicap over 1200m with the class of the old campaigner working against him somewhat when it comes to the handicapper.
Fritzy Boy is being asked to lump 61kg in the small field of six acceptors, being 6kg more than any other runner but a compensating factor will be having the services of top heavyweight horseman Jonathan Riddell.
At the end of June Fritzy Boy had to carry the same weight he has been given tomorrow, also at Awapuni and on a heavy 11, and finished a gallant third, albeit over three lengths from the winner No Excuse Maggie.
A win, or a second placing, tomorrow would nudge Fritzy Boy's earnings over $800,000.
In race seven Opaki trainer Grant Nicholson is kicking off a fresh campaign with Sou'east.
On paper a win would appear a big ask for the mare that has been away from the track since mid-March, has topweight at 59kg and has drawn the outside alley.
Nicholson has moved to correct at least one of those factors by engaging apprentice Amanda Morgan to ride Sou'east.
Morgan is able to claim 3kg and is regarded as a fledgling rider with talent and application to the task in hand.
The last on the card will be a scramble and three locally trained runners will be vying for a share of the $12,500 purse.
MacGregor has Hoover Boy entered, Gerald Innes will be pinning his hopes on Share The Blame and James Phillips will line up Jabez.
Of the trio punters may consider Share The Blame to be the most likely to return a dividend, despite yet another wide draw.
Share The Blame will handle the track and may appreciate a return to 1600m. Innes will be well pleased to have the services of top jockey Matt Cameron also.