Racing: Self Obsession to reign without rain

Aromatic (outer) beat Self Obsession (middle) in the Counties Cup but the order may be reversed in the Waikato Cup at Te Rapa tomorrow. Photo / Supplied

Mark Walker knows which of his two race favourites he’s tipping to win the $120,000 Waikato Cup at Te Rapa tomorrow, but that could change if it rains.

Walker is clear on the trainers’ premiership and got a Group 1 win with Prise De Fer last Saturday, and is taking a high-class team to Te Rapa, headlined by Self Obsession and Aromatic in the signature race.

Three weeks ago Aromatic was massive, beating Self Obsession by a neck in the Counties Cup when rain an hour before the race loosened the track in what Walker thinks may have been a deciding factor.

Tomorrow the pair are 1kg closer in the weights with Aromatic penalised for her victory and Walker says Self Obsession is the better chance of the pair if the rain doesn’t come.

“Stepping up to 2400m and on a better track I am definitely with Self Obsession,” says Walker.

“But if the rain comes, and there is supposed to be some, then that will help Aromatic again and she was very good winning last start.

“So we will have to see what the weather does.”

That could be the crucial punting determinant of the meeting and Te Rapa chief executive Andrew Castles admits they are as in the dark as everybody else.

“It has been a tricky week because the rain predicted for overnight Wednesday didn’t come so we have irrigated the track but there is still rain tipped to come Friday or even Saturday,” explains Castles.

“It has been quite windy so I suspect the track could be in the 4-5 range on Saturday morning and then whatever the weather does after that will dictate conditions.”

That gives punters who want to back Self Obsession, or any other horse on the programme who they think needs a better surface, the option to take the odds now and if the heavens open still cancel out of the bet should the track get really wet.

But on anything like a decent surface she looks the one to beat as she is a big, rolling mare who has won at Te Rapa before and will gobble up the 2400m with Michael McNab aboard.

Also suited to the 2400m should be last-start Bulls Cup winner Dionysus, who looks value at $9 as he has won over distance and on everything from a good3 to a heavy8.

Walker has a warning for punters considering taking favourite’s odds about Wild Night (R2, No 1) when the last-start Sarten Memorial winner returns for his summer campaign in a race crammed with talented three-year-olds.

“He has had a decent break and with the big weight and wide draw he has to be a bit vulnerable,” he explains. “If he can win this under those circumstances then he could be something special.”