Racing: No Seachange would open the Pick6 door

The Opunake meeting at Hawera is today's attention grabber, with a good-quality programme and a $100,000 Pick6 on offer.

The expected scratching of unbeaten filly Seachange opens the first Pick6 leg right up.

Foxton mare Gee Baby (No3) takes a strong wet track formline into this R92 sprint, with the added surety of three wins from six starts at the distance.

She's no anchor but is still a must have, along with Sea Shells (No4), Figurinit (No1), the former class act at the top of the handicap, and fresh runner Angel Of Mercy (No6).

The 3kg that apprentice Patrick Bell claims off Angel Of Mercy could also prove a decisive factor for his second leg mount, Zakharova (No4). She will carry the same weight that she mastered in an identical race at Awapuni two weeks ago.

Pick6 bettors looking for an early anchor could take the risk on this mare as she chases a hat-trick. Greatest dangers are Derry Lad (No.2), Eye Of Horus (No3) and Star O'The Ball (No1).

The third leg contains another obvious anchor in Sable (No1). With wins at her last two starts she has been a valuable late contributor to premiership seekers Graeme Rogerson and Stephen Autridge.

Sable was utterly dominant in her last start win and while 58kg is a big ask of a three-year-old filly, it is still only half a kilogram up on last time.

Dangers are Faelaha (No4), Slumber (No5) and the claimer Santa Anita (No9).

The big race of the day, the $75,000 Waikato Stud Opunake Cup, is also the most open given its depth of form.

Yesterday's TAB fixed-odds market had Don't Ya Lovett (No3) short at $3, with next best Magnetism (No6) double that, but it's nowhere near that cut and dried.

Settle for that pair if you have to limit your choice to two, but it would be risky to leave out Zvezda (No1), Baltaine (No2), Bulginbah (No4) and Floydeboy (No5).

The list doesn't end there either, but extending it obviously impacts on the size of your percentage interest.

The chance to narrow the options comes in the final two legs, with Prized Punch (No1) the dominant penultimate leg factor.

Fancied runners Call Me Cullen (No3) and Kenny Starfighter (No4) have yet to prove they can run 1600m, making the likes of Aeolian (No2) and Roanah (No5) stouter prospects.

Drop-back runner Categlory (No1) holds the key to the final leg. There's a big difference between this R76 company and the R94 field he ran fifth against at his last start.

Scope (No4) has obvious form and Just Eric (No8) is a late developing stayer with claims.

The second race at Ellerslie today may provide Pick6 investment funds, where you could do worse than couple up Jazzy Annie (No1), Faalcon (No2) and Electrostatic (No6).

The pick for straight-out win bettors is Jazzy Annie, whose last start win proved her great fighting qualities.

She will be further aided by her 2kg Troy Harris claim.

Later in the day Luck's A Fortune (No4, R6) is one for good each-way value, and Delta Lady (No7, R9) has fitness and a proven track and distance record on her side.