Racing: Heavy going for Richie McHorse

Richie McHorse has not raced in heavy conditions and they look on the cards for the Rotorua Cup. Photo / Trish Dunell

If you're wondering how rising star stayer Richie McHorse will manage heavy conditions in tomorrow's $75,000 Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup, don't ask trainer Chris Gibbs. He doesn't know.

"I've got no idea," Gibbs told the Herald yesterday.

On a track in the medium range of officially slow, Richie McHorse would be the $3 favourite.

Conditions will not be that way. The Rotorua surface was yesterday rated as a dead 6, coming in slightly from the slow 7 on Wednesday. But rain, much of it heavy, is due to set in across much of the top half of the North Island late today and all of tomorrow. That should see Rotorua slide into the heavy range.

Richie McHorse has not raced in heavy conditions. He got away with a show track last start when winning the Hawke's Bay Cup, but slow at Hastings is a lifetime away from heavy at Rotorua. It is difficult to completely ignore Richie McHorse.

"He has to go around because he's going to the spelling paddock straight after this. I'm very happy with the way he has trained on. If it rains on the day at least it should be loose. I'd prefer that to sticky," said Gibbs.

Upsets are not unknown in Rotorua Cups and this could be one of those. Two mares down the bottom of the handicap, Adriatic Pearl and Youwantmore, are not to be underestimated. Adriatic Pearl has had her issues through her career, but she has also shown real potential. There was a promise of something imminent when she finished fifth, 1.9 lengths from winner Our Abbadean at weight-for-age at Te Rapa last start.

That was on a track significantly better than she prefers and she was unsuited by the weight scale. She drops from 57kg to 54.5kg and really loves wet conditions.

Youwantmore has always been extremely under-rated. She, too, is highly capable in heavy footing (four from five). She finished just in front of Adriatic Pearl in that Our Abbadean race last start and drops 2kg for this handicap.

You can make a case for and against Blue Breeze and topweight visitor China Star.

Blue Breeze is the medium of a ridiculous ratings re-assessment, which has seen him go from 53kg in a medium range handicap against moderate opposition to 58kg in a very good field here. That is an impediment to him winning here, but like Richie McHorse is difficult to dismiss.

China Star has been in overall good form, but 60kg is a very tough impost for a mare, especially if conditions become extremely testing.

"Adds to puzzle" is the worst term ever in race previews, but this race is a true puzzle.

The same situation exists in the other feature, the $70,000 INCL Rotorua Stakes, with the classy Miss Wilson. The star of the field and winner of $344,000 has not won a race in slow or heavy conditions.

She is extremely well placed here under the weight-for-age conditions and would be giving most of these significant weight in a handicap.

But if the predicted rain comes the Rotorua footing late in the day will not be as kind to her as were the dead conditions when she scored stylishly in group one at Te Aroha last start.

If she managed the conditions she would win, so keep her at least somewhat safe in multiple bets.

Underthemoonlight could throw in a massive effort fresh from a summer spell.

She is under-rated, can handle wet conditions and is another well suited to this weight scale.

It will either be Miss Wilson easily or a value winner.