Racing: Liefting feeling a tad more pressure

Rudy Liefting admits he's worried.

With earnings of $452,900, Justa Tad has already changed Liefting's life and the road to group one success has essentially been stress free.

That all changes with tomorrow's $100,000 Speights Great Northern Guineas.

This is the crossroads for the massively talented filly - win this and Justa Tad heads to a group one quest in Australia; get beaten and it's the spelling paddock.

And Liefting knows his filly is G going into the group two event without a race since her remarkable victory in the Oaks at Trentham on January 22 and off the back of a head-scratching fourth at the Cambridge barrier trials.

The Takanini horseman is not sure what to make of the trials effort. The moderating factor is that the winner that day ran the 1400m in a scorching 1.22.98, something Justa Tad wasn't quite ready for.

"That's raceday time," says Liefting. "I had her ready to run 1.24 or 1.25 and she probably ran that. I was looking for her to bring some improvement out of the trial."

That was the first feel replacement rider Leith Innes had of Justa Tad and Liefting knows the Matamata jockey was disappointed.

The other reassuring point for Liefting is that Justa Tad has won only one of her four career barrier trials.

"That was in the South Island just before she won the 1000 Guineas."

At her very best Justa Tad would handle this field, although That's Tops proved in winning in much easier company at Matamata two weeks ago that she is the emerging autumn filly.

Liefting says he has Justa Tad at 98 per cent fitness.

"I want her to draw the last two per cent from this race so she's right at the top of her game when she goes to Australia next week. If she's going to take on the best in Aussie she has to be really firing."

The 1600m of the Guineas is in the back of Liefting's mind.

"I've always thought 1600m is the toughest distance to race over because they go hard the whole way. It's like a staying race over a shorter distance.

"She has to go into a 1600m group two race basically straight off the training track. That's not easy. Yes, I'm nervous."

So is Mark Walker, who feels That's Tops will be vulnerable despite an impressive 1400m win at Matamata.

"I feel she'll probably get left flat-footed over 1600m second-up."

Walker said he considered running That's Tops in the $100,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance, but felt the Guineas was physically an easier option.

"The 1600m will be less strain than going straight from 1400m into a 2100m. As long as she's running on I'll be happy."

The race was made a bit easier for the favourite when John Wheeler decided yesterday to withdraw rising star Rokocoko.

"When he drew wide at No 14 I made the decision not to come. It isn't just the draw, I felt that if I gave him a hard race in this it might bring him undone for a trip to Queensland. As it is he's had three fairly soft runs, which means he can go for a break before Queensland."

Look for significant improvement in Magnetism. He flopped badly when resuming from a break at Te Rapa on February 12, but showed that was a temporary glitch by chasing Brillanti home at the Cambridge trials, finishing in front of Justa Tad. His spring form looked exciting.

* The Wellington Racing Club in conjunction with New Zealand Bloodstock yesterday announced it would raise the stake for the New Zealand St Leger from $35,000 to $50,000.

The move follows scathing criticism from Matamata trainer Jim Gibbs, who pointed out when he won the St Leger with Dungarven in the 1980s the stake was $100,000.

Wellington CEO Eddie Jansen said: "Given two consecutive years of stake increases to $50,000 we would like to see trainers support this race thereby ensuring future stake levels and the prestige of the St Leger."

Gibbs said he congratulated the club on its move.