The positive from a raceday when track conditions upset so many horses is that there should be more value around the prices of those horses when they start next.
There were plenty of them at Ellerslie on Saturday. If you were on horses like No Limits, Ashmahan, Temple Hills, Arlingtonboulevardand Hasta La Ciao Ciao don't despair, but make sure you back up.
The track was officially mid-range dead, but raced a bit worse than that. It seemed to prevent many horses taking a full stride when they let down in the closing stages. It took Gaze a pedestrian 1.39.14 to run the 1600m in the second half of the programme.
The giveaway was when El Perez, who had previously not run a place on anything other than soft or heavy, loomed up to win Race 6 and was outfinished only when his condition gave out in the last 100m. He's one to definitely follow. He looks in for a massive winter.
Without the benefit of just how the track will race today, Aukay, Wilkie's Paint, Thee Auld Hussie and Arrow look good prospects, and a good surface for jumping should see Blakes Boy very difficult to head off in the hurdles.
Wilkie's Paint (No2, R9) has been either first or second in each of five career starts and he showed he can handle any type of track surface when he scored on that extremely difficult soft track at Tauranga last start.
He looks like a real fighter and against a field that lacks great depth he should go close again.
That was a nice second of Ististar's (No5) at Te Aroha and if she can hit the line as hard again she'll get some of it.
Thee Auld Hussie (No7, R7) should be improved from his first-up fourth at Awapuni recently. She got back over the 1200m and finished strongly into contention late and will be much better suited by the 1400m today. Her best form has been when there is a little give in the track.
Aukay (No2, R5) is starting to build a respectable formline. He looked lazy for the first half of the home straight at Awapuni last time, but once he got serious he put paid to them very quickly.
