Racing: NZ Derby winner has barrier in his favour

Tavy (inside) is a strong chance for the Eight Carat Classic. Photo / Trish Dunell

Puccini is not the easiest horse, either to train or to follow as a punter.

Matamata trainers Peter and Jacob McKay have done a wonderful job with the high-flier and it would be justice if last season's Derby winner wins the $200,000 Zabeel Classic today.

Everyone wanted their horse to draw an inside barrier at the tough 2000m Ellerslie starting point for this big race - the McKays wanted Puccini in an outside gate.

They got their wish with No10.

"If he'd drawn a gate where more than half the field was outside him the temptation would have been to kick him up early to avoid being squeezed out, but if you do that with him he starts over-racing and loses his breath," said Peter McKay on Wednesday.

"At this level you don't want them to beat themselves, which he's done before."

McKay wants to see Vinnie Colgan allow Puccini to relax early, settle back and start a searching run from a fair way out, a tactic which has successfully suited the horse on a number of occasions.

At Trentham last start from the rails barrier, Puccini ended up in the trail behind the leader to the home turn, perfect for many horses but a bit less than ideal for Puccini. He was temporarily held up around the bend then got to the front, only to be run down late by Shuka.

McKay is delighted the pace should be steady throughout with Veyron up somewhere on the pace.

"At Trentham, they walked then sprinted, but this time there should be decent speed and that will allow Puccini to get a good roll on at them late in the race.

"It's a pretty good field and there are lots of chances." Meanwhile, trainer Roger James clearly enjoys talking about his rising star Tavy, favourite for today's $100,000 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic.

With good reason - in three starts Tavy finished an unlucky second on debut and has stylishly won her two starts since.

Asked to sum up Tavy's chance this time, James says: "Well, I think they [the opposition] are more scared of my filly than I am of them."

Stephen Marsh, trainer of three opposition runners, does not use the word scared, but concedes Tavy has the points on the board compared with Sardaaj, the one he fancied above Thee Auld Floozie and Liten Prinsessa.

"Tavy has won a stakes race and Sardaaj has won only a maiden and an R65 race, so she has skiting rights so far. My filly has a long way to step up in this race."

Roger James qualifies his statement with the fact that Tavy has come through different formlines than all her main rivals this time.

Sardaaj finished only second in her subsequent Te Aroha barrier trial, but was never asked for her best by Danielle Johnson.

"That trial was super," says Marsh.

James was particularly taken by the way Tavy won the stakes race at Ellerslie last start with a minimum effort.

"That's the impressive thing about this filly, she does everything so easily."

Darci's Dream is coming off her second to Platinum Witness in the 1000 Guineas last month and comes in here nice and fresh.

Marsh believes Thee Auld Floozie will be better suited by next week's 2000m of the Royal Stakes. "And, Liten Prinsessa [two wins from three starts] has done nothing wrong."