Racing: George right in the Cup frame

Frank Ritchie

Almost lost in the action around the winner, Bazelle, and the Zabeel Classic disappointments of Kerry O'Reilly and Distinctly Secret was the effort of Gorgeous George.

In finishing fifth, the rugged Cambridge stayer showed that he is more than an outside chance in the City Of Auckland Cup.

Gorgeous George gave so much cheek leading the Zabeel Classic field up that with 350m to run he fleetingly looked a chance to take the race - in which case they probably would have run it again after the last race.

"He's certainly not a weight-for-age horse," said trainer Frank Ritchie, "which is why I was delighted with his effort."

Two changed factors from the Zabeel Classic bring Gorgeous George right into the frame for the City Of Auckland Cup.

He drops 6.5kg in weight and the stretch from 2000m to 2400m is just what he needs.

Don't forget Stayer Of The Year Zabeat just managed to nose him out of the winner's cheque in the Wellington Cup in January.

"His great strength is his ability to simply keep going," said Ritchie.

"I swear he dropped back to sixth or seventh after he was headed the other day and he came back and finished fifth.

"They can accelerate past him, but when their sprint is finished he keeps going."

Typical of the type of horse he is, Gorgeous George has thrived with the tough run in the Zabeel Classic.

Lance O'Sullivan is looking for some of the rain that dogged the first two days of the carnival to assist the Cup chances of Our Kitty.

O'Sullivan has carefully guided Our Kitty through the major early summer cups with the idea of having the mare fit for this major assignment.

"I'm happy with her condition, but rain would definitely be a help.

"I suppose we're not going to get any this time."

Our Kitty's best form has been at Ellerslie.

"I thought it was a pretty hot field, but she went a good race in the Avondale Cup, running on well and this distance will definitely suit her."

Lisa Cropp's mount Partee has almost all her form on left-handed tracks, but that is the least of the worries for her co-trainer Dick Bothwell.

"I have no fears at all about her handling 2400m at Ellerslie.

"Go back to her run as a 3-year-old behind Boulevardofdreams on a wet track at Ellerslie.

"She was last and tailed off and then stormed home to finish third."

Partee hit the line strongly when a close third to Kerry O'Reilly and Filante Etoile in the Waikato Cup last start. Cropp was inconvenienced when she lost her left stirrup iron 50 or 60 metres from the finish.

"The horse must have been unbalanced for the last bit, yet she kept going strongly and was the last horse to pull up.

"I'm very pleased with the way she's done since then."