HASTINGS - Patronage has proven costly for punters this winter but they could do well to stick with him in the first leg of the TAB double at the Hawkes Bay meeting tomorrow.
The Prince Salieri four-year-old gelding lines up in the $10,000 Total VJ Distributors Open Handicap (1600m) and lookswell placed to make an overdue return to the winners' circle.
Patronage has started a warm favourite in each of his last two starts for a fourth and sixth. Both races were on a very testing tracks at Ellerslie and Patronage seemed to get bogged down over the final stages.
The Hastings track should be nowhere near as heavy and that could assist Patronage.
Last winter he showed great form, recording four wins in a row and five in the space of seven starts. He has been placed on the Hastings track and has a record of three wins and four minor placings from 14 starts at the 1600m distance.
Last Heritage, another who was bogged down by a very heavy track last start, should be one of Patronage's main rivals along with Ruakiwi Lad, It's Serious Fun and Little Wizard.
Last Heritage, from the powerful Noel Eales' stable at Awapuni, has paid a dividend 10 times from 16 starts over the 1600m distance and has raced well at Hastings before.
Ruakiwi Lad is a Hastings track specialist, having recorded five wins on the track. He was run down late when fourth over 1200m at Hastings last Saturday with his rider that day, Jade Rogers, suggesting the horse is now looking for a slightly longer distance. He gets that on Saturday.
It's Serious Fun was an unlucky second over 1600m at Awapuni last start where she had to be angled sideways to avoid the heels of another runner in the last 300m before getting back in to full stride.
Little Wizard's form credentials do not look that good but the Virginia Privateer mare is another with a great record on the Hastings track and ran on well for seventh over 1400m at Otaki last start.
