Racing: Run under microscope

The horse won't be aware of it, but Gold Jet's performance at Te Rapa tomorrow will be dissected more minutely than anything else that goes around on the day.

What Gold Jet does in the $50,000 Ecolab Waikato Steeplechase will decide which of three paths he takes.

"We've got a 1-2-3 strategy planned for him," says Otago co-trainer Brian Anderton.

"The first is if he goes shocking he'll come home. If he goes really well we'll look to take him to Australia and anything in between he'll stay in the north and have a second try at the Hawkes Bay Steeplechase."

Gold Jet has 2kg more than the nearest in the handicap, but the way jumping races are handicapped these days he is only 3kg off the minimum. He won this race last year and followed a different path into it this time.

"We brought him into work later this year and didn't bother about Easter racing. Last year he ran in the Great Eastern at Easter then had that steeplechase that went all wrong at Gore."

Gold Jet had two flat starts before winning a steeplechase at Riccarton last week.

"If I could change anything I would have liked this race to be another week away to give him that extra time to get over last week's run, but things didn't fall that way.

"Shane [son] has him up at Te Rapa and he says the horse appears to be on his game, so we won't be using that as an excuse."

A big plus for Gold Jet will be the relatively good track conditions - he is not at his best in real winter footing.

"The better the ground the better he'll go," predicts Anderton.

Despite heavy rain early in the week, the Te Rapa track yesterday morning was 3.3 and easy. If you don't believe that, show up there at 4pm today and the club will take you around the track in a mini-bus and show you.

"I know people must be thinking, how could you have a track that is only 3.3 at this time of year and after the rain, so they can see for themselves," said track manager Neil Treweek.

Gold Jet will again have the services of Tom Hazlett, who received bad bruising when he fell at Te Rapa two weeks ago. He recovered sufficiently to take the Gold Jet ride last week and is fully fit again.

Anderton and Hazlett both regard Lucky Tip as their biggest danger.

Lucky Tip was impressive beating Deceit in the lead-up at Te Rapa two weeks ago. Deceit had her chance to pick him up in the run from the last fence, but could not make inroads into the slender lead the Wanganui visitor held.

A mid-race check did not help Deceit's chances and the 1kg swing in her favour this time might bring them closer.