Racing: Elliot makes tough choice

Rock On Wood is defending his title today. Photo / Race Images

There might be a hint of family bias in Ryan Elliot's choice of rides in today's $400,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes at Te Rapa.

But that doesn't mean it is wrong.

Elliot is having the season of his career, sitting fourth on the premiership with more than $1 million in stakes but today two of his favourites, Rock On Wood and Beauden, clash in our richest weight-for-age race.

Beauden has been one of the movers of the thoroughbred season, emerging with a couple of huge wins and a luckless third in the Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie two starts ago, the latter race the best form guide to today's weight-for-age feature under very similar conditions.

But Elliot has opted to ride Rock On Wood. As you do, when it is trained by your mum.

Leanne Elliot trains the 5-year-old who is still very new to the bigtime but has one of the most sustained finishing kicks in New Zealand racing.

So would Elliot have chosen the same way if both horses were trained by, um, non-relatives?

"Yes, I still would have gone for Rock On Wood," he told the Weekend Herald.

"I think he is still on the way up whereas Beauden has been great all campaign but he has had a lot of racing.

"I think they can both win but Rock On Wood might be just the better chance for this race."

Rock On Wood hits the line so hard, including when luckless in the Thorndon Mile last start, that he has 2000m written all over him.

He hasn't started over that trip since his 3-year-old days when he didn't run a place in two attempts at 2000m but Elliot says he is more ready now.

"He is stronger and of course older and I think he will handle it."

To help him do so Elliot will try and stay handier from barrier two so luck becomes less of a factor on a track where sometimes swoopers get left behind.

"I'd like to be handier and I think he has a real chance if I can get him to settle," says Elliot.

As talented as Rock On Wood and Beauden are, it is easy to make a case for plenty of their rivals. On The Rocks is the defending champion, beating Tiptronic in this race last year, so they have proved they can be factors in a race of this quality while Aussie mare Luvaluva has been in great form in Sydney.

She won her last two at Randwick and was sixth in the A$1m The Gong before that.

Fiscal Fantasy was second in the Zabeel so has claims but the horse that ticks the most boxes in the Herbie Dyke is True Enough.

He doesn't know how to go a bad race and overcame the tempo bias to win the Zabeel while he was similarly brave winning the Couplands Mile at Riccarton.

He has Opie Bosson today and is the horse to beat.

Herbie Dyke Stakes
$400,000, M2 Te Rapa, WFA, 2000m, today 3.55pm

1. 13131 True Enough (8) Opie Bosson (59) $4.80 $1.65
2. 12131 Beauden (7) Leith Innes (59) $4.40 $1.55
3. 00X18 On The Rocks (1) Michael McNab (59) $11.00 $3.20
4. 13571 Tiptronic (10) Jason Waddell (59) $12.00 $3.40
5. 01011 Camino Rocoso (3) Chris Johnson (59) $16.00 $4.00
6. 1X124 Rock On Wood (2) Ryan Elliot (59) $4.00 $1.45
7. 26211 Gino Severini (4) Danielle Johnson (59) $61.00 $8.50
8. 25611 Luvaluva (9) Koby Jennings (57) $3.60 $1.35
9. 01722 Fiscal Fantasy (6) Michael Coleman (57) $23.00 $4.80
10. 95010 The Real Beel (5) Samantha Collett (57) $41.00 $7.25