Racing: Pair look cut above the rest

Match racing is exciting.

If you said the Mi Jubilee and Wahid clash at New Plymouth today was match racing, you would be tempting fate.

Horse racing is not a science but these two outstanding babies look a couple of levels above the opposition.

The fascinating thing about this race is that Wahid and Mi Jubilee have met twice. The score is one each with the beaten horse on both occasions having an excuse. The connections of neither runner are looking for an excuse this time. Whoever wins can reasonably claim to be the better of the two.

Trainer Allan Sharrock admits he had Wahid way short of full fitness when Mi Jubilee ran away with the Ford Ellerslie Sires at Ellerslie last start. He is fitter now.

And Stephen Crutchley is equally adamant Mi Jubilee was not ready for a hard race when Wahid beat her in the Wakefield Stakes at Trentham.

As good as Wahid is, and he is one of the best 2-year-olds we've seen for a while, Mi Jubilee might have the edge today. He might be great, but there is a growing suspicion the filly might be something special. In horse racing, special will beat great. Dont miss the race.

Waikato mares Mistrale (No6, R7), Showgirl (No7) and Etoile Du Nord (No4) might have too much firepower for the Central District stayers in the $50,000 Taranaki Cup. Trainer Murray Baker admits he was on the Mistrale tip bandwagon for last week's group one Easter Handicap at Ellerslie. A bad home straight check put paid to that, but this race looks much more suitable. Mistrale was good enough to win the Queen Elizabeth, which in turn is good enough form for this race. There is a niggle Andrew Calder is riding well and he's going to have to this afternoon because Mistrale has a short, sharp, devastating sprint and just how Calder will bury the mare from gate No 12 to be able to maximise it, only he will know. Showgirl's two races this campaign have been real eye-catchers and the step to 2000m will see even further improvement.

Not many horses win their first two races straight, but Queen To Be (No8, R2) was so impressive winning on debut it's difficult to predict her demise today. She ran fast time after being taken on in front and won by nearly five lengths.

Missy Elliot (No1, R3) looks the goods. She ran off on debut, got the money easily next time to the races then finished third to Mi Jubilee at Matamata last start after drawing wide and covering a bit of extra territory. The barrier is not ideal again, but she will be competitive. The likes of Mi Jubilee and Kindacross simply ran too fast up front for Skyward (No3) in the Ford Sires Produce at Ellerslie last start. He is a big, long-striding fellow and if the pattern suits horses running on strongly, then he'll be doing just that.

Because of the left-handed track the Central Districts usually do well at Te Rapa and Karen Zimmerman is a live hope with Him A Gotta Go (No2, R6). This is only a so-so field and he did not get a lot of favours last start. Don't go mad, but he's a chance.

On the surface, Lanson (No2, R10) looked fractionally disappointing when only second at Matamata last start, but he was a victim of the way the race was run. The 1600m races look a shade short for him and Lisa Cropp had to ask for the start of his sprint a long way out. He had to sprint for more than 800m and it left him gasping in the closing strides. If the race is set up for back runners and Lanson can make his charge a bit later, he should prove his class.