Racing: If Legs could win the Kelt

Legs did a lot more than line Kenny Rae's punting pocket with her win in the Kelt Capital Stakes at the weekend.

The Ruakaka trainer is now wondering what riches are ahead for his own stable star Mirkola Lass, who he confidently tips to get the ball rolling on her home course today.

Rae's black type contender clashed twice with Legs last season.

In their first meeting she had the Kelt winner at full stretch, going down by just a nose and a short neck over 1800m at New Plymouth last February.

The next time - fresh from a close third to Falsetto in the Ellerslie Oaks - she was a little further back, but far from disgraced in Legs' New Zealand Oaks.

She got well off the speed from her wide gate, yet ran home strongly, just 4.5 lengths adrift of the winner, jammed in behind the cheque-bearing positions after a rocky home-stretch run.

It was those results that inspired Rae's Kelt wager; reasoning that if Leg's was good enough to beat Mirkola Lass, she was an irresistible punt at $13 against our best weight-for-age stars over 2040m.

"She [Mirkola Lass] is a cup horse,' said Rae. "The Wellington Cup or St Leger, that's my aim with her this season."

Mirkola Lass kicked off the cups assault with a game Ruakaka third to Tom Tom Cat over 1400m last month. Aftershock split the pair that day and crushed an R83 field next-up over a mile at Matamata on Saturday.

With that run under her belt, Rae is expecting second-up success today for Mirkola Lass against an even weaker lot over 1600m.

"She's going to be a stayer, but I'd be disappointed if the others beat her, to be honest. She's working really well."

Mirkola Lass won in a similar state last campaign, also over a mile, and with today's pilot Laura Cheshire aboard.

Local Flame Proof looks a quinella anchor after his recent placings, which include a narrow Ruakaka second to The Guttersnipe over the same trip last month.

The Guttersnipe won next-up against some promising types at Hastings on Kelt Capital Day.

On a relatively quiet Ruakaka card for Rae - he fired most of his shots at the recent Gisborne carnival where he won the $5000 trainers' prize - he rates both his other two runners, Nervada and Lady Express, each way hopes.

He's opted for the weaker maiden 1200m with double acceptor Nervada, despite the wider gate in race two.

The Sandtrap filly has disappointed since a first-up second last year, but a recent trials second to Avondale winner Ventoso has Rae confident Nervada has now turned the corner.

Rae admits Lady Express still looks a little fat after overcoming minor feet setbacks. But if she musters the ability that saw her weigh-in last campaign against black type company she could give the better fancied R76 sprinters a fright.