Racing: Kaaptan, The Heckler have earned the points

Let's hope the prediction of showers for Palmerston North today comes to nothing, or very little.

Sires Produce Stakes day has drawn magnificent fields and the club, and race fans, don't deserve rain.

Without it the $200,000 Ford Manawatu Sires will be an exciting contest.

Kaaptan, The Heckler, Veldt, St Fevre, Seven Schillings, Corsage, St Germaine, Obsession and Cat Women - and that's leaving out some talent - will provide real action.

Those names are in number listing, but it's not a million-to-one chance that they could finish in close to that order.

Kaaptan and The Heckler come out with the most points, with the nod going slightly to The Heckler over the equally talented Kaaptan.

He won in stunning fashion on debut, got too far out of his ground next start then won the Karaka Million and was knocked over in the Ford Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie last time.

Kaaptan can finish off strongly. He perhaps raced against that pattern when he got to the front a fair way out in his last-start group one win at Ellerslie, but he showed plenty of ticker to hold the opposition out late.

The Heckler's stablemate Veldt is another suited by the 1400m distance.

This trifecta is not going to be easy, but perhaps if you boxed up The Heckler, Kaaptan and Veldt to run first and second in the trifecta with the others mentioned to take third, it would be a cost-effective way of getting plenty of cover.

Don't miss this race.

The clash of MacO'Reilly, Sir Slick and Vosne Romanee in the $100,000 Awapuni Gold Cup is also exciting.

MacO'Reilly deserves to be favourite, but at more than double his $3 quote yesterday, Vosne Romanee is well worth a saver.

He's been looking for this 2000m and gets a hefty 3.5kg off the other pair.

Viduka (No 1, R1) is the only two-race winner in the special conditions opener. As such she has plenty of weight for a mare (58kg) but she has a nice inside gate for Craig Grylls to work with. If the odds are right she looks a good each-way chance.

La Etoile (No 3, R3) and Compensate (No 1) will both have benefited from their latest races. Both smart 3-year-olds were coming off breaks and looked improvers. Jowka (No 6, R5) and Lunus (No 10) don't look to have the best form on paper in this race, but it would pay to ignore that. Both are very talented and this is their type of race.

Daffodil (No 12, R6) is going to be favourite for the Oaks Classic after her luckless Oaks fourth, but at the odds she may not be value. Better value could be Fears Nothing (No 3). The slow tracks for the Derby lead-up then the Derby did not suit, but his earlier form was very good. He has come through the Ellerslie runs beautifully and this is more his type of race. The veterans
Hurrah (No 2, R8) and Bulginbaah (No 1) are going to give their younger opposition plenty to think about despite being at the top of the handicap.

Hurrah is certain to be fitter for his resuming run at Trentham after returning from being prepared in Sydney and Bulginbaah has freshened nicely since his unplaced run behind Mufhasa in the Telegraph.

Booming (No 5, R10) is going to need luck from a wide gate, but if he gets it he can win the last. They had the last run at him in the St Leger and the winner, Valhalla, had a lovely rails passage. He fought back bravely and deserves another win. Dutyful (No 3) is a good value runner.

At Ellerslie, Danpaoshaq (No 5, R1) is going to be at short odds after his fourth with a slipped saddle last start at Te Rapa and better value might be Showcause (No 6). He was the beaten favourite at Pukekohe last week, but that was at 1600m and he raced a little too dour for that distance. He jumps to 2200m today and that's going to suit.

Punters might stray away from Ginga Dude (No 1, R4) after his mystery failure at Tauranga last week. He was under pressure right from the start but part-owner and trainer Graeme Boyd can find nothing wrong with him. Even with 58kg he is a match for these horses at his best.

Dampierre (No 2, R9) can atone for a luckless run in the St Leger when he was held up.