Racing: Matamata mare deserves another go

After hogging the headlines at Te Aroha, Arlingtonboulevard dipped under the radar in the Easter Handicap at Ellerslie last start.

Forget that race even happened.

The rain-affected track at Ellerslie on Easter Saturday undermined the form of a number of high profile runners. Arlingtonboulevard was one of them.

The track took the extension out of the stride of the likes of Arlingtonboulevard and the Matamata mare ended up in eighth place, 4.5 lengths from winner Rags To Riches.

Judge her here instead on the massive finish she produced into second, promoted to first under controversial circumstances.

Interestingly, both trainer Mark Walker and rider that day Jason Waddell believe that without the severe check the mare copped mid-race, an outright win may well have resulted.

The Te Rapa track is likely to be slow tomorrow, but it's a surface Arlingtonboulevard will almost certainly be more comfortable on.

She has won at Te Rapa previously - always an advantage - and has a win from just two starts on a slow-rated track.

The big obstacle will be Haylee Baylee.

The Waikato mare is the female equivalent of Kristov - the horse punters just love because she will drop to the ground before she gives up.

If Kristov was not a gelding, what a lot of fun you would have mating the pair - you'd never bet again if you didn't get a horse that similarly refused to give in late in its races.

The set weights conditions here suit the likes of Haylee Baylee, who easily won an identical race to this at Manawatu last start, although against a slightly easier line-up.

Another big chance is Salsa, the horse that created the enormous judicial fuss at Te Aroha because she was checked out of second in the final few strides by Viennetta.

That was Salsa's first start back after being prepared in Melbourne. She sweated freely at Te Aroha and gave the impression she might be slightly better for the race.

If the track does not come back from a slow rating, Tusker could be one of the favourites that is affected.

Few of the stock of her sire Volskraad produce their best on rain-affected footing, but in Tusker's favour are her excellent track and distance stats.

* Travis Stks odds:

$3.50 Haylee Baylee; $4 Tusker; $5.50 Bazelle; $10 Salsa; $11 Arlingtonboulevard; $14 Kew; $16 Rosetti Bay; $18 Primera Dama; $22 Seventh Heaven, Shereigns; $25 Gemstone; $30 Bridie Belle; $40 Plaything.