Racing: Myers hungry for success on Aalaalune

Rosie Myers' focus has been on getting to the 48.5kg today and enjoying a hearty meal afterwards. Photo / Trish Dunell

Manawatu jockey Rosie Myers will step into uncharted territory when she teams up with Aalaalune in the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings today.

A natural lightweight, Myers usually walks at 51kg but she is facing a rare task of shedding weight to get to Aalaalune's 48.5kg for the weight-for-age feature.

"I don't think I've ever had to ride that light," Myers said.

"It's only a couple of kilos I've had to lose and it should be sweet. The boys [male jockeys] keep telling me that's what they have to do for every meeting."

Myers, who has five Group 1 wins to her name, was only too happy to accept Team Rogerson's offer to ride the Reliable Man filly, who raced exclusively in stakes company last season, finishing second in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie and a fast-finishing fourth in the Group 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni.

"She's got pretty good form from her 2-year-old season but it's just hard to measure her up in this race," Myers said.

"She hasn't raced against those proven older horses and the likes of Endless Drama and Melody Belle have been there and done that but she's getting a lot of weight from them."

Aalaalune carries 10.5kg less than $2.70 favourite Endless Drama, a last-start winner of the Group 2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa and 8.5kg less than six-time Group One winner Melody Belle, who won the Tarzino Trophy last year.

"She's drawn out [barrier 14] but she gets back anyway though, I want to talk to Rogey [co-trainer Graeme Rogerson] before I make any plans on tactics," Myers said.

An $18 shot with TAB bookmakers, Aalaalune is having her first start for Rogerson and his co-trainers Debbie and Bailey Rogerson, having transferred from Matamata trainer Jacob McKay earlier this month.

Still a maiden, Aalaalune will be the first 3-year-old to contest the first leg of the Hawke's Bay triple crown series since the John Wheeler-trained The Pooka finished fifth in 2007.

The Pooka also contested the other two legs of the triple crown before going on to Group One success in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.

Rogerson, then training in partnership with Stephen Autridge, produced Cedar Manor to finish seventh in the race in 2004.

Not that any of that matters to Myers, whose focus will be on getting to the 48.5kg today and enjoying a hearty meal afterwards.

"I'm not eating much at the moment. I'm pretty hungry right now," Myers said.

●Helena Baby's winning streak may have come to an end last start when finishing fifth in the Group 2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m), but jockey Donavan Mansour believes he has improved since that run.

The John Bell-trained gelding had won his previous five starts and Mansour's only concern heading into today's Group 1 Tarzino Trophy at Hastings is the Dead5 track.

"I honestly feel that he is better and has turned the right way this week.

"And Mr Bell has done a fantastic job with him. We are looking forward to it," Mansour said.

"I would have liked some rain [before Saturday]. He is proven on a wet track, but I feel like he would go well on a dead track.

"He is probably one of the strongest horses I have ever ridden, my arms feel like they are seven metres longer after I have worked him."

Mansour believes the son of Guillotine's best distance would be over a mile and thinks he would be ideally suited to the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) on the second day of the Bostock New Zealand Spring Racing Carnival.

"I think a mile to 1800m is his best distance and if it fits in well he would get the 2000m," he said.

TAB bookmakers have installed Helena Baby as an $8.50 fourth favourite behind Foxbridge Plate winner Endless Drama ($2.70), Melody Belle ($5), and Danzdanzdance ($8).

- NZ Racing Desk