Racing: Sound again on right Auckland Cup wavelength

Sound (outer) will have favourable track conditions for the Auckland Cup showdown today at Ellerslie. Photo / Trish Dunell

For the second year running, everything points to Sound winning today's $500,000 Auckland Cup at Ellerslie.

But the difference is this year, he may get the perfect track to justify that favouritism.

The former German stayer is all the rage in the Cup market as Ellerslie prepares for a massive meeting after Auckland returned to Covid-19 alert level 1 yesterday, meaning racegoers can enjoy the party they were denied on Derby Day.

The meeting starts with a bang with Levante expected to win race one, the Sistema Stakes (race six) could decide New Zealand 2-year-old of the year and Melody Belle chases her place in history in the Bonecrusher Stakes, as she will become our most successful Group 1 galloper should she win.

But for all those highlights, it is called Auckland Cup day for a reason, and the Cup is the most storied race and Sound a worthy favourite.

He has a formline rarely seen in one of New Zealand's three major 3200m Cups these days, full of performances in Melbourne and Caulfield Cups, taking on some of the best stayers in Australasia and even the world.

Sound was good enough to win the Sandown Classic three starts ago, and although he was beaten into second behind Robusto in the Avondale Cup three weeks ago, he comes in enormously better off in the weights today.

That coupled with his overall form means he clearly looks the horse to beat. But that was also the case last year when he could manage only second behind today's topweight Roger That.

Sound looks to be racing better this season, but just as importantly, there should be more give in the Ellerslie track, with now-retired jockey James Winks suggesting Sound just found the good3 track too firm at the end of a hard 3200m last season.

With more give, even just a little, his 8-year-old legs may be able to move that touch more freely at the end of today's marathon and that makes it hard to tip against him.

Sticking with the theme of last year's Cup being the best form guide to this year's event, the third placegetter 12 months ago in Platinum Invador looks the logical danger to Sound today.

He also dabbled in Australian racing in the spring but has returned home in solid form and is reunited with Leith Innes today.

"Sound is the one to beat but he has to be a big show, he is weighted to be tough to beat and I am thrilled to get back on him," says Innes.

As compelling as the pair's records are for punters today, 3200m Cups can be a nightmare, and this one has a strong cross-section of proven Cup winners (Auckland, Waikato, Avondale) and emerging stayers such as Star Tsar, so there is enough to entice value punters who can't bring themselves to take the short odds for Sound.