With so many of our best-known horses heading to Ellerslie they won’t be racing today and the biggest money and black-type on offer is actually at Wingatui, enough to lure champion jockey Opie Bosson south and away from his home track.
Add in the $200,000 Cuddle Stakes at Trentham tomorrow and this weekend’s racing has a slightly upside-down feeling to it, but that also makes for some even racing.
None more so than that Rating 75 at Matamata headlined by Poetic Champion.
He has been a hype horse since winning his juvenile debut by six lengths, followed by group race placings behind Velocious, Bellatrix Star and Captured By Love while as an early 3-year-old he beat Savaglee and Move To Strike.
So why haven’t you heard of him much since and why is he racing in a $40,000 Rating 75?
“He is very, very fast but his knees have been his problem,” said trainer Tony Pike.
“We have only been able to give him one or two runs at a time and then spell him and the aim of this campaign is an open sprint at Trentham in three weeks.
“That is why he is entered for Saturday even though he has 62kg [down to 59kg with a claim] but if the track remains firm we may even dodge this race and trial on Tuesday instead.
“Because while he is very quick I don’t want to run him from a wide gate if the track is really fast and favouring those racing against the rail.
“And it is a really strong race for a Rating 75. So I will watch the weather and decide in the morning.”
Today’s race boasts three reps from Te Akau on their home track as well as two from Wexford Stables, including last season’s NZB Kiwi contender Hankee Alpha.
If Poetic Champion does start he can win as his 3kg claim is almost theft as apprentice jockey Sam McNab already regularly rides to a senior jockey’s standard.
Pike has last-start Dunstan Stayer’s Championship winner Maldini up against more proven handicappers in today’s open 2000m with McNab on again to take his weight down to a super competitive 51kg.
Later in the programme, Checkmate looks beautifully placed in the open 1600m coming off a third in the Rich Hill Mile and fifth in the $1 million Aotearoa Classic. He gets the perfect opportunity to break through today even though he may have been better suited stepping up to 2000m soon.
One of the better bets of the day at Matamata comes in the last race where, as long as the track is not favouring leaders too much, Sarti (R9, No 2) can overcome his wide barrier draw at a $3.80 boosted price.
Away from Matamata, the Wingatui meeting is stacked with quality racing, including the $230,000 White Robe Lodge Stakes, $200,000 ODT Southern Mile, $180,000 Dunedin Guineas and the $180,000 Dunedin Gold Cup.
While it is rare to see Bosson riding at Wingatui, his fan club shouldn’t have to wait long for a return as he rides a quick juvenile in Never Too Much in Race 2.
He was just beaten in a fast time after leading at the Ellerslie trials recently and the trial before that finished fourth when not pushed in a heat that has produced subsequent race winners Harvey Wallbanger, Justin Case and Speed Demon.
At $2.10 fixed he might be the best way to get your punting day started.
• While New Zealand racing has a quieter Saturday than much of this summer, there is huge racing today in Australia.
Freak mare Autumn Glow is red hot to remain unbeaten in the A$1m Verry Elleegant Stakes at Randwick for Chris Waller and James McDonald, while at Flemington, Observer is favourite for a A$1m Australian Guineas with mixed quality.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
