KEY POINTS:
Hagar and Tachus, two horses running out of firm track opportunities, face off in the $40,000 CM Jillings Cup on Legends day at Ellerslie this afternoon.
Hagar is the better off of the pair - last start at Tauranga he finally got the luck that had eluded him
for so much of the summer and charged home to win narrowly.
Tachus has frustrated his connections with a bad virus which has seen him raced sparingly.
Part owner and trainer Moira Murdoch believes she may finally have Tachus in winning condition and with just 53kg today he should provide a showing much more in keeping with his talent.
Even on 56kg, Hagar is going to be a big threat. He has drawn well at No 4, a key factor because almost all his back luck through the season has come from outside barriers.
This is only a small field, but a good one.The Black Panther has turned in two terrific efforts since returning from a Melbourne base and is a trifecta chance, as is Macavelli Miss (good record fresh) and Volscar. The best race all day.
It didn't help the cause of Vanderbeel (No 8, R 5) being taken on at Tauranga. He was headed and came back strongly to be beaten into third by two half lengths. He is jumping up a grade, but it does not look to be a particularly strong Rating 83 field.
As a back runner Fourwinners (No 1, R 1) was put out of business when Mr Omegen ran a remarkably fast 1400m in front at Awapuni last start. He did remarkably well to run on under 58kg to be third. This race should set up a lot differently and Fourwinners will go close to getting the win he deserves.
Eskimo Queen (No 6, R 2) could not have been more impressive in two starts, flashing home for third on debut at Te Rapa then rocketing home again on the same course to win last time. There are some useful types here, but she has only to be in the same form to be somewhere in the frame. That's My Char (No 5), Winsome Kash (No 2) and Mango Tree (No 1) are trifecta musts.
The way War Eagle (No 4, R 3) won at the Te Awamutu trials you'd say he has benefited from his break since November. His two race starts resulted in good thirds and he has drawn to get the run of the race here. Mokoia Road (No 1) looked pretty smart on debut.
Sands Of Time (No 1, R 4) dead-heated for first at Tauranga last start and was 1.75 lengths ahead of Pams Pompallier (No 2). Sands Of Time never left the rail, whereas Pams Pompellier drew the outside gate and was very wide on the home bend. Pams Pompellier meets the other horse 1.5kg better here and has drawn the better (No 6) vs (No 10). It might be enough to turn the Tauranga result around. Ambitious Mascot (No 3) has been freshened and is coming back from races like the Waikato Guineas and Ellerslie's Championship Stakes. This is a whole lot easier.
Golconda (No 7, R 6) doesn't win out of turn, but she got back on an impossibly slow pace at Tauranga last time and did remarkably well to finish a close fourth. If she gets the right sort of run here she can figure in the finish. Hazeldon (No 5) is in the right sort of form.
Love Blooms (No 14, R 8) meets an even lot and on her solid-closing fourth at Pukekohe last start rates as an each-way chance. She should have learned from two starts so far.
Sir Scintillate (No 2, R 9) is dropping back in grade, has a good record when fresh and his three wins have been at this 1400m trip. He has drawn the outside gate, but the small field will help.