Racing: November Rain deserves thick end of the stake

Three-year-old filly November Rain is nothing if not tough.

She's likely to prove that in tomorrow's $35,000 New Zealand Bloodstock 3YO at Te Rapa.

November Rain is starting in this race in preference to taking on the older mares in the $85,000 Travis Stakes, simply because she's drawn better.

If she gets the money no one could deny that she deserves it.

Horses who finish second four times on end are often soft when it comes to trying - no one could ever accuse November Rain of that. Going backwards, last start she finished powerfully out wide from the tail of the field to take second behind Time Keeper in the $200,000 Easter Mile at Ellerslie, which followed her similarly powerful late dash to go under by a short head to Keep The Peace in the Oaks at Trentham.

Hugely talented filly A Chance To Dream beat her at Ellerslie the start before.

The Easter effort was spectacular.

"If she'd drawn a decent barrier I think she would have got a lot closer to Time Keeper in that race," said trainer Richard Collett.

"He got to the front easily and was well ridden. He steadied them up across the top, which made it hard on the back runners."

November Rain has Time Keeper and smart gelding The Hombre to beat, but at 2000m against her own age group she should prove difficult to keep out late in the race.

To prove she's tough and able to sustain a campaign, November Rain will fly out to Brisbane after this race.

"She'll run in the Doomben Roses and the Queensland Oaks," said Collett.

"She's really thriving, in fact, in terms of strength she's probably better at the moment than at any previous point of the season.

"I'd have been more than happy to have taken on the good mares in the Travis Stakes if she'd drawn well, but she drew 14 at the 2000m and that's too tough."

The Hombre is all class and is the real emerging stayer.

Where you assume November Rain might have the edge on him this time is superior fitness.

The Hombre resumed with a huge 1400m win at Te Aroha on April 10.

That was his first run since November and that fact, plus jumping from 1400m to 2000m - even though he's a horse that will never need a lot of racing - might just swing things the way of November Rain.

And then you have in-form Te Aroha galloper Time Keeper.

His chance will depend greatly on whether leaders are advantaged or disadvantaged tomorrow.

The Te Rapa track yesterday had a dead 4 reading and some rain or showers was the prediction for today, fining up for tomorrow.

Te Rapa has a great record of coping with rain, but even so, if the track is yielding it will probably make the job more difficult for Time Keeper to lead and hold his rivals off.