Racing: Manners will be vital

Cambridge galloper Sanjeev faces only four opponents at Tauranga tomorrow. Photo / Greg Bowker

Run Like Al possibly goes to a different level in tomorrow's $20,000 Crockford Real Estate at Tauranga.

After making a goof of himself at the Ellerslie carnival, Run Like Al had to be scratched at the start of the Rich Hill Mile.

It was a surprise because Jakki Good does such a wonderful job with her horses.

And Run Like Al has been - for him - well behaved.

Manners will be important in tomorrow's big race.

Run Like Al is no certainty with 58kg. He has to give Veloce Bella 2kg and Sanjeev 4kg.

However, he has been devastating in every race he's had this preparation. This looks his sort of race, despite his weight problem.

He races hard on the pace and kicks strongly in the final 200m of his races, which should make him difficult to take care of here.

Run Like Al should win.

Veloce Bella has a "gunna" reputation, but she's a lot better than that.

Yes, she's always running on, but what better chance to be running at the leaders over 1600m than with just four opponents?

She is up to the best class we have to this level in New Zealand and should be really storming up a finish in the final stages.

In his past three wins, Sanjeev has beaten Golden Silence, Crossword and Princess Annalise. Corsage should be difficult to manage in Race 1.

At her last start, she finished 3.1 lengths from Katie Lee in the group one 2000 Guineas, good enough form to prove difficult to beat here.

Miss Sharapova looks exciting and is a major danger.

Last start, Sun Ruler faced R70 class and just got up to beat his half-sister Sunstrike.

You might say, yeah okay, but it was a superlative performance.

He was no chance to win at the 250m and simply stormed to the line to just catch a stablemate that had had a fitness start he hadn't.

This time, Sun Ruler jumps two classes from R70 to the R90 band, but drops from 56kg to 53kg.

There was something about the stretch of Sun Ruler in the closing 200m that suggested something of the staying talent of mum, champion mare Sunline. With maturity, the further he goes the better he will get.

Sunstrike looks an equally good chance in Race 7.

She fought hard when just beaten by her stablemate last start.

The McKee stable looks to have a possible bet of the day at Tauranga in Benabar in race 5.

He has always looked a horse on the way through to the best classes and his second to Dasoudi at Ellerslie on Boxing Day was top class.

He keeps getting to the finish strongly and this race sets up nicely for him. Dinka came back to form last start and poses the biggest danger to Benabar.

Eathan Dalley takes 3kg off Dinka's back and that makes her a threat with 2.5kg below Benabar.

CROCKFORD 1600

* Run Like Al played up badly at Ellerslie last week and needs to do everything right tomorrow.
* The high-class metric miler needs a run going into the Thorndon Mile at Trentham.
* Veloce Bella with 2kg less will be a danger.