Rebels to hold field to ransom

A slashing run by Rebels Ransom at Hastings last week has well and truly qualified the gelding for a crack at the Group 3 Rotorua Cup tomorrow.

It's a shame he has drawn 19 and is second on the ballot but with a little luck and a scratching or two, Polly MacDonald's pride and joy is likely to line up and could be a force to be reckoned with at good odds.

His Hastings run was a beauty in view of the fact Rebels Ransom was blocked at the 400m, got out to lead and was nabbed by Langdon in the shadow of the post.

MacDonald said the 4-year-old had worked at Opaki on Thursday, being given "nice, quiet work" in the hands of track rider Noel Waddell.

He returned home from Hastings in fine fettle and hasn't left an oat, she said.

A question mark hangs over Rebels Ransom's ability on a heavy track as he has only had one start on heavy going, failing to feature in the finish. But that was when he was a youngster and on a real boggy track.

Rotorua dries out fairly quickly, with the underlying surface being pumice, and Rebels Ransom has won on good, dead and soft tracks.

The Rotorua Cup is being raced for a stake of $70,000 and Rebels Ransom will again have the services of Mark Hills, who really rates the horse and has told MacDonald he is confident her gelding is a cup contender.

Rebels Ransom's mate on the trip to Rotorua will be Canso, trained at Opaki by Herb Renall.

Canso is to line up in the first race, a $20,000 maiden over 2200m and has drawn well at gate 5.

The mare has been showing steady improvement in her five starts to date and battled on to finish fifth of 11 at Woodville in late April.

Craig Grylls, who rode Canso two starts back, is to be reunited with the mare and it would come as no surprise to see her get some of the stake as she seemed to appreciate the step up in distance last start and is over the longer trip again.

Aaron Bidlake is taking Bella Carolina and Elusive Tracy up north and Gerald Innes has Sir Ferrari entered in the last.

Bella Carolina showed her opposition a clean pair of heels at Woodville at remarkable odds and has drawn well at gate 2 in race 7, a Rating 75 over 1400m.

She is a capable mare by O'Reilly from a Centaine mare and could repeat her last effort.

Likewise Elusive Tracy is no slug but faces a tough task in race 8, a listed WFA event.

She is second up from a spell and has drawn wide but has talent.

Sir Ferrari is up in class, and drawn wide, but is rated highly by his trainer and has performed well in a handful of starts.

He will be lugging 59kg but could give the field in the last a real shake-up and doesn't mind the sting being out of the ground.