Horse racing: Trainer who cashed in during Ellerslie closure glad Auckland Cup is back there

Terra Mitica at Pukekohe. Photo / Photosport

The trainer who cashed in most during Ellerslie’s historic closure over the last two season says he is glad Saturday’s $500,000 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup is back there.

Because Lance Noble believes that gives his mare Terra Mitica her best chance of overcoming an interrupted preparation to win the 3200m feature.

Noble, his owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay and jockey Warren Kennedy were dominant forces at Pukekohe when it was the home of Auckland Thoroughbred Racing’s biggest meetings during the Ellerslie track renovations, Noble joking he’d be happy to see our most important track stay closed a little longer.

The return to Ellerslie has already seen the stable’s winning run continue though with Jaarffi (her stallion’s name Iffraaj spelt backwards) winning the first running of the $350,000 Rangitoto Classic last Saturday.

Noble’s attention now turns to Saturday when Aquacade chases a Group 1 triumph in the $450,000 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes while Terra Mitica contests the Auckland Cup, a race she was once the favourite for.

The Irish-bred mare missed a vital lead-up in the Avondale Cup three weeks ago with a hoof niggle but Noble is hopeful a fill-in race at Matamata a week later will have her ready for the Cup.

“Missing the Avondale Cup is less than ideal but I thought she was all right at Matamata where she had to carry 58kgs and she drops to 52.5kgs this week,” he said.

“We don’t know if she will stay the 3200 but her breeding suggests she will and I think she has more chance of handling it at Ellerslie than at Pukekohe, where the 3200 would be more testing.

“The other thing is she needs a dry track to show her best and Ellerslie is going to provide better footing that say Pukekohe would if we get any more rain.

“So while we had a really great run at Pukekohe, for her this race being at Ellerslie really helps.”

What also helps is Kennedy being able to ride at Terra Mitica’s 52.5kgs, as many other trainers struggle to find senior jockeys for their horses. Most of the Cup starters will carry 53kgs or less.

The weights would have been raised had topweight Prise De Fer been pulled out - but instead he will start, in what co-trainer Mark Walker suggests will be his last run before retirement.

The compressed nature of the weights means three of the stars of the summer handicaps all get in well with Dionysus, who won the Waikato Cup carrying 55kgs, Queen Elizabeth Cup winner Trust In You with 54kgs, the same weight as New Zealand Cup winner Mahrajaan.

Most luxuriously, Avondale Cup winner Asterix carries just 53kgs as he could not be re-handicapped for that last-start victory.

That makes him the ratings winner in the race as he is a Rating 92 horse but carrying less weight than horses rated in the high 80s.

After a dramatic day of ins and outs for the Cup on Monday, it looked much more settled at nominations time yesterday with form runners Whangaehu and Mark Twain safely in the field while Canheroc, who dropped out of the field on Monday morning, back in.

That seems fair as he did finish third in the Wellington Cup and won the Marton Cup, so deserves his spot.

The $450,000 Sistema Stakes for the juveniles, one of only two Group 1s for the babies in Zealand, drew eight entries, only three of them males.

Hot favourite Legarto could face 10 rivals in the $450,000 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes, which sees Puntura, El Vencedor and Riodini all stepping up to 2000m for the first time in their careers.

The fields for Auckland Cup day will be available at 11am on Wednesday.