Horse racing: There You Go the horse to beat at Riccarton

Race goers enjoy 157th New Zealand Cup at Riccarton last year. www.Photosport.nz

If bad things come in threes punters could be in for a nervous watch with There You Go in Saturday's 1000 Guineas at Riccarton.

The big filly looks the one to beat in the classic even after drawing barrier 13 but trainer Tony Pike is having a nightmare week, not with his horse's performances but through sheer bad luck.

His three-year-old Field Of Gold was luckless before charging into third in the 2000 Guineas last Saturday, although he wouldn't have beaten Noverre, but you will never see a worse hard luck story in a black type race than the Pike-trained Providenceprovides in the $90,000 Breeders Stakes at Riccarton on Wednesday.

The big mare had raced clear at the 200m mark and was going to bolt away with the group three before her hindquarters touched the running rail and she took fright, stumbled and lost all momentum before regathering herself to finish third beaten a neck.

"I don't know who we have upset or what we have done but it has been a hell of a week," says Pike.

"Bad luck happens in racing as we know but you don't see them beaten like that mare did in a group three races very often."

The barrier draw of unlucky 13 would hardly seem to inspire confidence that There You Go is going to get things her way in the Guineas either but Pike says it actually doesn't bother him.

"Sure, I would have liked to draw a few more spots in but I would rather have her drawn wide than down low because she is a big, long-striding filly," says Pike.

"I think she can make her own luck from out there and a few of the other favourites are drawn wide too so I don't think it is a disaster.

"I know these races aren't easy to win but we are going in confident because I think she will be better suited over the 1600m than many of them and she is just a good filly."

The favourite Imperatriz has an even worse draw at barrier 16 but in-form trainer Jamie Richards says that will mean she is ridden quietly and that is probably her best chance of seeing out the 1600m.

Imperatriz is so quick she might be suspect at the 1600m but she was dazzling coming from near last to win over 1400m at Matamata last start so jockey Danielle Johnson is likely to play the patient card again.

"The way she won at Matamata (last start) I think she can get the 1600m ridden cold but the issue could be her being 10 lengths or more off the leaders starting the last 600m because it is a big field," says Richards.

"And if a good filly like There You Go is up on the speed and rolling she is going to be hard to catch."Richards actually rates stablemate The Perfect Pink as his best chance, thinking the 1600m is ideal for her and she also has the services of Opie Bosson, who has used this carnival as a giant reminder to punters and rivals that he is still if the king of big race riding in New Zealand.

The chances by no means end with the favourites as Bellaconte is a hard-finishing filly who will charge late if she gets gaps while there is plenty to like about Mustang Valley, Belle En Rouge and even second stringers from the Richards and Pike teams in Irish Red and Chanel.