Racing: High stakes for Planet Rock

Bone Of Contention ridden by Vinnie Colgan. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Any time Riccarton trainer Peter Williams ventures north it pays to take notice.

With a $550,500 payday at stake at Ellerslie tomorrow for his pricey 2-year-old filly Planet Rock, most punters won't want to be on anything else.

Williams, who trains in partnership with wife Dawn, needs a win from his $290,000 yearling - the stable's most expensive lot yet - to be guaranteed a run in the Karaka Million at Ellerslie on January 30.

With just $3000 in the stake bin from her sole start at Trentham, Planet Rock is woefully short of qualifying if she doesn't deliver - and the trainers are out of time for a plan B.

The $6400 winner's cheque in the $11,000 Countdown To Karaka Million Handicap, however, would place Planet Rock comfortably inside the Karaka Million's 14-horse limit.

"I don't travel much unless I've got a chance, everyone knows that," said Williams, who is basing the impressive Fastnet Rock filly at Stephen McKee's Ardmore stable.

"But if you're going to come back next year for the Royal Stakes and races like that, this is a good race to come up for [as a 2-year-old].

"She's here for the Karaka Million but it's not the be-all and end-all. If she runs good, she'll stay up here, if she gets beaten we'll stop off for the Wakefield on the way home."

The group two Wakefield Challenge Stakes is at Trentham on Saturday week, the same course on which Planet Rock first popped up on the Karaka Million radar last month.

After missing the kick slightly Williams' athletic filly pushed early Karaka Million favourite Super Easy hard all the way down the straight, only missing the valuable win by a long neck. The pair had the finish to themselves with almost five lengths back to third.

"It was just bad luck to run into one better on the day and that's proved to be not bad form with his next up run [for second to Anabandana in the Eclipse Stakes]," said Williams.

"You'd have to say Anabandana is the best 2-year-old in New Zealand at the moment but she's not eligible for the Karaka Million."

Williams said Planet Rock, the mount of Michael Coleman tomorrow, might have left home a fraction underdone.

But the long trip north has hopefully taken care of any fine-tuning needed before Ellerslie's acid test.

"The only thing I'm worried about is the Ellerslie way round. It's her first time that way and the younger horses usually need one."

Cambridge trainers Tony Pike and Mark Donoghue are also using relatively minor assignments at Ellerslie tomorrow as guides to richer targets ahead.

They have exciting stayer Bone of Contention on trial for the Wellington and Auckland Cups in the $20,000 Speight's Stayers 2100 Restricted Open.

Later in the card, Historian strengthens his claims for a New Zealand Derby start when he clashes with a talented line-up in the Cambridge Stud Yearling Draft 3YO over 1600m.

Donoghue rates both huge winning chances.

Bone Of Contention had rotten luck when held up at a vital point with 800m to run in the Dunstan Final on January 1.

His effort for third under the circumstances was a feature of the race.

"That was very frustrating - the interference at the half-mile really cost him," said Donoghue.

Historian faces his toughest test so far but Donoghue says he's improving with each experience.

"He's a big, raw-boned horse with untapped ability and still learning but he is very exciting.

"He's been working a lot better since his last run; hopefully he goes out and is more professional."

While the Karaka Million pressure builds for Williams and his rivals, trainer Stephen McKee had his stress levels eased at Te Rapa yesterday.

His Ellerslie hopeful Release Me scored a narrow but impressive maiden victory for Jason Collett, and with it the most valuable $3125 winner's cheque he'll land in his career.

The stakes boost elevated Release Me to 14th in the Karaka Million order yesterday.

That should be enough to secure a start, given there's always a handful of bigger stake earners who fade from contention in the lead-up.