Racing: Be on track to place your Pick6

Punters will be pinning their hopes on Dating in the Pick6 at Ellerslie on Saturday. Photo / Supplied

If you are part of a big syndicate chasing the Ellerslie million-dollar Pick6 on Saturday get out to the track and have a free bet.

The Auckland Racing Club is offering a 4 per cent discount on all Pick6 bets of $1000 or more lodged on course.

"Yes, it's a good incentive to put your Pick6s on at the track," said ARC racing manager Andrew Castles.

"If there are syndicates putting $5000 on the Pick6 - and there'll be plenty of them - it's a $200 discount."

Take a quinella or a trifecta with your discount and you might get your entire Pick6 investment for nothing.

"Simply, come to the raceday office after the running of the first Pick6 leg, show the staff the ticket and the rebate will be paid," said Castles.

The Ellerslie fields were finalised yesterday and in what will be extremely testing conditions, the Pick6 will once again be a head-scratching search, despite including two early-season features: the Bonecrusher Stakes and the Soliloquy Stakes.

"I agonised over what races to include in the Pick6," said Castles.

The heavy track will make selections difficult.

"We had 30 minutes of hail here at Ellerslie today [Wednesday] and now it's a beautifully fine afternoon. The weather is crazy."

Matamata trainer Andrew Scott has talented dual winner Extra Explosive accepted for both the Bonecrusher and the Soliloquy.

Good-class act Dating is a definite starter in a Pick6 leg on Saturday.

The Waikato filly is on a tough, seven-day back-up after her unlucky and close third to Rememba Howe and Zennista in the Gold Trail Stakes at Hastings last Saturday.

Dating and Opie Bosson received several severe bumps in the home straight and Bosson said that with a clear passage they would have won.

"The filly has done well, otherwise I wouldn't be backing her up," said co-trainer Debbie Rogerson.

"She came out of the race with no marks on her."

The very testing condition of the Ellerslie track will lend itself to a horse with that extra level of fitness from a seven-day back-up.

Stablemate Katie Lee continues to do well as she marks time before her Melbourne campaign.

"She'll run at Hastings next week in the group three 1400m Rosebowl and then go to Australia to run in the group three mile at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day."

Plans are then to run Katie Lee in the group one A$500,000 Myers Classic on Derby Day (October 30) at Flemington for the opening of the Melbourne Cup carnival.

Winning was only one aspect of Lady Chaparral racing at Te Aroha yesterday, Matamata trainer Corinna Young had a greater wish.

That was for the promising mare to have as easy a run as possible.

Young got her wish - Lady Chaparral hardly broke into a sweat to comfortably beat her only two rivals: Appleton's Lass and Santorielli.

"I've got her in the Breeders Stakes at Hawera and I wanted to give her another run," said Young.

Lady Chaparral had a fresh-up run at Ellerslie on September 4 finishing third to Indian Sky in heavy conditions and another run in hugely testing conditions yesterday had the potential to flatten a horse.

"I'm relieved it was only a track gallop for her," said Young of the half sister to Oaks winner Bramble Rose.

The $70,000 Taranaki Breeders Stakes is run at Hawera on October 9.