Racing: Rosetti Bay will take some stopping

Reverting to 1400m will not be easy for Rosetti Bay, but she will still take some stopping in today's $75,000 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at Pukekohe.

Last start in a similar race at Trentham, Rosetti Bay she got back over 1600m and made ground late into equal fifth. The long Pukekohe home straight will assist her with her stylish finish and the 1400m, usually a good distance for her, may not be a problem.

To be honest it's difficult to make a strong case for anyone to beat her.

Although she has rarely been far away, it's fair to say Clean Sweep has raced below expectations this preparation. Those efforts have been against allcomers and perhaps she might find a little extra against her own sex today.

She probably doesn't need to find a lot because the races she has targeted this preparation have been won by Xcellent, Miss Potential, Arlingtonboulevard and La Sizeranne.

Sing In The Sun (No6, R1) will appreciate dropping back from weight-for-age to handicap company. The talented mare did well to finish less then two lengths from Millennium in the weight-for-age on Melbourne Cup day at Ellerslie. She will find this easier and from the No 2 gate should receive the run of the race. Silveraad (No4) will be improved for his first-up run and can figure in this finish.

Bernard Dyke has been unlucky not to win a race with Kincert (No2, R2). She just does not know how to in a bad run and if she gets any sort of luck at all, will take stopping. He Can Tango (No10), Young Centaur (No11) and Kingsinga (No12) all have shocking outside barriers, but they can get into the trifecta with a touch of good fortune.

The 2-year-old race, the $30,000 Captain Rio Stakes, might be tricky. Squall (No5, R3) won as expected on debut at Hawera and will almost certainly start favourite here. She was impressive at Hawera, but there are a couple of talented ones here she has to cope with, debut filly Imananabaa (No8) being one of them. Imananabaa looked smart winning a recent barrier trial at Te Aroha and it's unlikely Jim Gibbs would see this race as an ideal kick-off point if he felt she was over-matched. Frame your bets around the above two and No 6 Chant, but be careful.

Avaroadi (No4, R4) is probably already starting to look for 2000m and the fact this 1600m race is at Pukekohe will help. If the pace is on in 1600m events at Pukekohe they can race like 2000m. Avaroadi is a promising emerging stayer who was impressive winning last start at Te Rapa. There is a lot of upset potential in this race, but he looks a good each-way bet.

Another each-way prospect is Mac Five (No6, R7), who meets a mixed lot in a 2400m PQ race. It was an improvers race when third to Vision over 2100m at Ellerslie on Melbourne Cup day and the Faltaat mare has since won a barrier trial at Cambridge.

Kerry O'Reilly (No6, R8) has to be your top tip for the $100,000 Eagle Technology Counties Cup. The outside barrier draw is a definite potential snag, but with half the right amount of luck his great staying class will take him close. The start will be interesting with Cameron Lammas (Kerry O'Reilly), Lisa Cropp (Mandela) and Noel Harris on Miss Kitty will all be watching each other closely from three of the outside barrier positions.

Luck will play its part in the Cup, but take Kerry O'Reilly as your No 1 horse and swing the other options around Mandela (No8), Our Kitty (No10) and Zabeat (No2) with the ever-game Haylee Baylee (No4) a potential trifecta hope.

The barrier draw will play a vital role in the result of the $30,000 Ekraar Trophy. Former Sydneysider Shinzig (No2, R9) has the No 2 barrier and it will prove extremely valuable. They will run this at breakneck speed and anything getting a suck along in a trail behind the speed should be able to arrive at the right time in the home straight. Shinzig has a bit of class and has freshened nicely since a run on each day of the Kelt Capital carnival at Hastings. Because of the way they will race this there is probably going to be an upsetter somewhere in the trifecta. The safest outside Shinzig might be Crepe De Chine (No9).

Taat Lass (No4, R10) got no luck when a close third on resuming at Te Aroha on October 19. She has had plenty of time to recover from that and from a perfect barrier draw should take some beating.

The bolter is Legend Of Goku (No3), who can run big races in good company at times.