Racing: Omens point to topweight

You'd have to believe it was fate.

What are the odds of the topweight and favourite for the main race of the day when Avondale are - temporarily or permanently - abandoning racing on their home track because of financial difficulties, being named Strapped for Cash.

If you're into omen betting, there has never been a more appropriate one that this.

Avondale is like many similar level racing clubs: asset-rich and cash- poor.

Strapped For Cash - the equine version - is just the opposite.

Remarkably, for a horse who is at his best in the worst of winter tracks, he has been able to bank $226,000.

He's almost certainly going to add to that in tomorrow's $20,000 Rosebank Business Governor General's Cup.

There are a couple of questions, though, on whether that will be with the thick end of the stakemoney. The main issue standing in his way is the 59kg topweight - his penalty for his almost unheard of total compiled by a mudder.

Strapped For Cash was beaten favourite, 1 lengths away, when third in last week's Kiwifruit Cup at Tauranga.

In very testing conditions at this time of year the time gap between races is sometimes a critical factor.

For horses who can cope with the physical strain, a seven-day back-up is ideal - they are just so much fitter. Last week Strapped For Cash was coming off a three-week gap.

He and The Strutter are the only runners this time coming out of that Kiwifruit Cup and if Strapped For Cash arrives at Avondale tomorrow in similar shape as last week that should be just about enough to get him close to winning.

The 59kg looks ugly on paper and if he's beaten because of it, the victor will be something like Kingsinga, to whom he will concede 4kg.

Kingsinga may not be the horse he was a couple of seasons back - he was the early favourite for some of our main spring handicaps - but he retains enough ability at this level.

His fighting second to Hurricane Mickey under 58kg at Ellerslie last start showed he still had some spark as a rising 8-year-old.

That was only his second start back from a spell and the 1600m run that day should have topped him off nicely for tomorrow's 2000m.

Amirar is the interesting runner.

When he won last start at Te Rapa by 16 lengths you'd have sworn he'd come back and win any winter handicap, but how much do you read into Andrew Calder's riding tactics playing a major role?

Calder caught the field napping somewhat when he lapped the others near the 800m and pressed to a big advantage, an advantage the others could not make headway into through the final 300m. It was a top run and tomorrow's cup will tell just how good.

Inform veteran Diamondsareforever relishes wet tracks and has won at Avondale before.

FITTING FINALE
* Strapped For Cash is the right omen horse for tomorrow's feature race.
* The tough winter mudder has only his 59kg standing in his way.
* With 4kg less, Kingsinga looks a big danger.