It sees the clash of TAB Karaka Millions favourite Velocious and stunning debutante winner Move To Strike, who is one of the more exciting one-start juveniles in New Zealand in recent years.
But trainer Stephen Marsh warns punters his unbeaten filly Velocious wouldn’t start in the unlikely event of Pukekohe being rated heavy first thing on Monday morning.
“It is a good drying track so I don’t think it will come to that but if it is heavy I’d be reluctant to go,” says Marsh.
“She is three weeks out from her big aim, the Karaka Millions, and she would have the option of racing at Ellerslie on January 14 instead, which would give her another look around there.
“We don’t have to make a decision until scratchings time [7.30am] on Monday and if it is soft she will start but heavy probably not.”
Trainer Mark Walker says Move To Strike will start regardless of track conditions and he has already won trials on both heavy and soft.
“To be honest I don’t think it will bother him and I think he has actually improved since his debut,” said Walker.
“Looking at the meeting, even if it did come up heavy all of our big names would still start,” adds Walker.
Marsh suggest punters could do worse than check out his maiden Provence (R3, No 8) as today’s northern meeting at Taupō.
“She won her trial really well last time out and is a good chance.”
Another worth following today is Chad Ormsby, who lines up two promising three-year-olds in Lord Weyburn (R2, No 3) and Beast Of Burden (R5, No 1).
Both have shown plenty in their few starts, with Lord Weyburn having won two of his four starts this campaign and his two losses came in elite three-year-old company.
“He is actually our Derby horse so the 1300m might be a little sharp but he will be running on well,” says Ormsby.
Beast Of Burden has also dipped his toe into the big time, having taken on Crocetti and Lupo Solitario in the Sarten Memorial last start, while his two earlier placings were to talented types Geriatrix and Cannon Hill.
“I like him,” says Ormsby.
“He is working well, has a top jockey and a good draw so I think he will sit just off the leaders and be really hard to beat.”
The $80,000 Harcourts Taupo Cup is today’s feature and while the best horse is undoubtedly Town Cryer, that means she has to carry the 60kg topweight and give 8.5kg to Good Oil, who gets a 4kg claim and likes to run handy to the speed, an appealing combination at Taupō.
**A fire in the grandstand at Avondale racecourse on Thursday night won’t impact northern racing’s immediate programmes.
The fire was in part of the stand not used on raceday and Avondale has no meetings planned in coming weeks while issues with the track are rectified.
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.
