Earlier in the meeting I think adding blinkers to Return To Conquer (R4, No. 1) will help.
I have been riding or seeing a lot of the Te Akau two-year-olds at trackwork and while he is the best La Dorada is really tough and He Who Dares will improve on his Matamata run last start.
But still, for me, Return To Conquer on top.
The Cup is a really tough race but Tajanis (R7, No. 11) looks a good stayer for Chris Waller and has a lightweight so he is clearly on top for me ahead of Nest Egg, who is a proven stayer.
Blue Sky At Night is racing well and About Time can win but maybe it is still a year too soon for her.
I love Tuxedo (R9, No. 2) in the Derby. He is a big strong horse and I liked his Waikato Guineas win so he is the best chance.
Bourbon Proof will put himself in the race while I am willing to forgive Willydoit’s last start. He just got too far back and ran past a few but I think he needs to be handier.
The Bonecrusher is going to be a good race because El Vencedor (R6, No. 1) is flying and loves Ellerslie.
But Orchestral can beat him and is the horse I’d like to be on. She will enjoy being back up to 2000m and the small field helps.
La Crique is obviously a classy mare too but Orchestral on top.
The other mare everybody will be looking forward to seeing is Legarto (R5, No. 1).
She is the class in the Breeders Stakes and should win with my only concern that she is second up after a long break.
But she has a good draw and is getting out of the gates better these days.
It is going to be an awesome day and good luck to everybody involved because the biggest racedays, especially at Ellerslie, are pretty special.
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.
