Racing: Runners vying for trip to Adelaide

Davina Waddell is uncharacteristically on edge.

She also suspects her timing might not be quite right.

Yet even combining those two factors, Waddell could still win tomorrow's $100,000 Hawkes Bay Davmet Gold Cup at Hastings with All's Well.

Waddell does not think her horse's name is appropriate for this one race.

"This race has come up a fraction too soon for him."

But a start is imperative - this race carries a free trip to South Australia for the A$400,000 Adelaide Cup on May 16 for the winner.

And that is the race Waddell has aimed All's Well at for the last four months.

She is tormented by having to walk that dreadful knife edge of leaving All's Well fresh enough to withstand this race then the trip to Adelaide and arrive in winning shape, yet still have him fit enough to win tomorrow's Cup.

It is probably the toughest juggling act in horse racing.

If Waddell has erred she knows she has done it the right way - by erring on the side of caution in possibly leaving All's Well a touch too fresh.

The up side of that is the grossly underrated emerging stayer is extremely clean-winded and seems to race best in that condition.

"I'm just worried this is a bit soon for him. I'm not super confident. I probably chose the wrong path by running him in the 1600m Calveen won at Tauranga - I would have been better taking the softer option and running him over 2000m at New Plymouth.

"Everyone said you had to be handy at Tauranga that day and I told Katie Hercock to see if she could get him up forward. He raced five wide the whole way up close and did well to run sixth, but he would have been better if he'd been allowed to drop back as he often does."

Waddell says she is not as optimistic as she was before All's Well ran in the group one Avondale Cup in December, where the gelding pulled a plate in running and still finished right up behind the winner The Mighty Lions.

"He was fantastic before that race and I was very confident.

"I'm not going to Hastings with the same confidence. I think he could do it, but I won't be surprised is he doesn't.

"We'll be trying hard because it's a huge plus to go to Australia and have your exes paid. It's a big incentive to go."

Katie Hercock has retained the ride.

All's Well has yet to win in six attempts on a firm track and is virtually unbeaten in the wet, but Waddell is unconcerned provided the track is not hard.

Hawkes Bay CEO John McGifford says the Hastings track is steadily coming back from an easy rating and will almost certainly be firm by race time, but there is no way it will be hard.

"I haven't seen a sole of grass on the Hastings track like it has at the moment.

"There will be a good cushion for all horses."

Waddell is very happy with that scenario.

There is a lot at stake for a lot of horses in his race. Results here will almost certainly define the field for the Adelaide Cup.

Bodie, Envoy, Arreviderci, Etoile Du Nord and Empyreal are on trial for the South Australian race.

Peter McKenzie says if Empyreal wins he will be on the free flight to Adelaide, if not he will race in Brisbane.

Etoile Du Nord was given a break after her fair fifth to Zabeat in the Wellington Cup.

She will be fitter for her handy sixth to Our Fuji when resuming at New Plymouth on April 2. She cleaned up for this big trial with a 2000m barrier trial win at Te Awamutu on Tuesday.

$100,000 Hawkes Bay Cup

* At least six runners are on trial for the A$400,000 Adelaide Cup on May 16.

* The winner tomorrow receives a free trip to South Australia.

* All's Well is one of them looking at Australia and trainer Davina Waddell is hopeful rather than confident she has the horse fit enough to win.