Racing: Amazing day on cards at Te Rapa

At least one outstanding female thoroughbred (clockwise, Avantage, Amarelinha, Melody Belle, Levante) is going to do something amazing at Te Rapa.

When jockey Ryan Elliot canters down to the start of Saturday's $400,000 Herbie Dyke at Te Rapa it will be with a little bit of heartache and a lot of hope.

Elliot will partner Beauden as he tries to spoil the party at the expected Melody Belle record-setting party in New Zealand's richest weight-for-age race, the centrepiece of Waikato's best race meeting of the season.

If Melody Belle justifies her $1.45 price she will pass Sunline as the most successful Group 1 thoroughbred trained in New Zealand. Elliot is one of nine rival jockeys trying to deny her but not quite on the horse he wants.

For months when the Waikato jockey has thought of the Herbie Dyke Stakes, it has been with mother Leanne's stable star and family pet Rock On Wood in mind. Until tragedy struck at Trentham two weeks ago.

Elliot was aboard Rock On Wood when he broke a leg in the Thorndon Mile that was Melody Belle's 13th Group 1, and had to be put down.

The Elliot family were devastated.

"It was a very, very hard thing to go through," admits Elliot.

"Not only to lose my favourite horse but because I was worried about Mum and the rest of the family.

"It hurt but I have got a job to do and I am lucky to be on Beauden because he is a really good horse. But yes, I am still getting over it."

Beauden may not have the sheer speed Rock On Wood was blessed with but he is a tough open-class galloper who has been carrying huge weights to victory so weight-for-age now looks his friend.

But that weight scale still means giving Melody Belle 2kg and Elliot says his best hope is staying in front of her.

"He has been going good races and is fit so if we can stay close to Camino Rocoso, who should lead, and hope she [Melody Belle] has some bad luck we might get our chance.

"She is a great mare and we realise a lot of people will be hoping she gets the record but it is our job to beat her."

Although Melody Belle should win, you can make cases for Sinarahma (on her last start), The Chosen One (on his Aussie best) and Tiptronic (defending champion) to at least test her.

But if Melody Belle shows the same improvement between the Thorndon and Saturday as she did between two Group 1 races she won in similar circumstances in October, the mare the stable call Valarie should leave Te Rapa as holder of New Zealand racing's hardest-won record.

At any normal meeting the Herbie Dyke, with its class, stake money and tease of something truly special would totally dominate the chat but it has a rival for attention in the $200,000 BCD Sprint.

Avantage and Levante may never threaten Melody Belle's record but they are two incredibly talented mares set to meet at the peak of their powers in the 1400m weight-for-age Group 1.

Avantage is class and has already won our two most glamorous sprints this summer but when Levante lets rip in a race it looks like she has been fired out of a giant equine slingshot.

The race may come down to luck in the running and tempo but because Levante could be last for the first half of the race, if she is going to beat Avantage, Callsign Mav and Julius she may need something freakish.

Add in some of the best three-year-olds in the country in the Waikato Guineas and the Ellis Fillies Classic and it is as good a race meeting as you will see in New Zealand outside the Karaka Million.

One thing looks near certain. At least one outstanding female thoroughbred (Melody Belle, Avantage, Levante, Amarelinha) is going to do something amazing. Or maybe all of them.

Take your pick.

Big races at Te Rapa

● 1.55pm: $100,000 Waikato Guineas

● 3.05pm: $200,000 BCD Sprint

● 3.40pm: $100,000 Ellis Fillies Classic

● 4.15pm: $400,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes