Racing: Spring Tide turning against trainer John Bary

Spring Tide won't get his favoured heavy surface at Matamata. Photo / Trish Dunell

Rarely has a trainer taken an in-form horse to a Group 1 with as much reason to be peeved as John Bary has heading to Matamata on Saturday.

But while Spring Tide's chances in the $300,000 Plate may be fading with every track update, the Hawke's Bay trainer thinks Best Seller can give him Group 2 consolation in the Hawke's Bay Guineas.

The Plate and Guineas were meant to run on Bary's home track at Hastings last Saturday but were transferred to this week because of heavy rain in the region.

Bary agreed last week's races had to be called off but it ruined a dream scenario for him: two huge races on his home track, with most of his rivals having to travel to meet his pair in the heavy track they can both handle.

Instead, now he has to do the travelling, the Matamata horses who are the favourites for the two races are on their home track, and Spring Tide won't get his favoured heavy surface.

"There isn't much we can do about it and the Group 1 had to go to Matamata and this week, but I would have loved to see them keep the Guineas down here and race it next Saturday," says Bary. "But we head to Matamata and will do our best."

Spring Tide is unlikely to be anywhere as potent on a drying track, with Mustang Valley in a similar situation, as it is hard to see her beating Impeatriz and La Crique with so much in their favour.

But Bary thinks Best Seller can down the boys in the Guineas, particularly if she can stay in front of the likes of Dynastic and the talented Desert Lightning.

"I think she will be better on top of the ground because most class, fast horses are," says Bary.

"We have barrier one and at some stage she needs to learn to race in the field but if she can use that to settle in the top five or six those boys probably won't catch her."

The Guineas is a crucial stepping stone on the way to the classics at Riccarton next month, with the earlier 1400m three-year-old race also a potential key pointer.

It isn't just about the races moved from Hastings, with the Matamata Cup a good race, and White Noise looking better suited there than in the Group 1 he was going to have to run in last Saturday.

There is also domestic black-type racing for the mares at Hawera on Saturday, where Secret Amour looks a great chance in the feature.

The lucrative spring carnivals continue in Melbourne and Sydney, too, but without the weight of numbers to expect a repeat of New Zealand's wins last Saturday.

I Wish I Win, who is still owned here, is favoured to win the A$1 million Toorak Handicap at Caulfield, while in Sydney the highly-promising Waikato three-year-old Sharp N Smart steps up to the serious stuff in the A$500,000 Gloaming Stakes.

RACE OF THE WEEK

$300,000 Plate

Group 1, 1600m

Matamata, Saturday, 3.34pm

Take two: The huge race was to be run at Hastings last Saturday but with that meeting abandoned it moves to Matamata.

The big addition: Potentially the best horse in New Zealand, Imperatriz joins the field after originally being set to miss last Saturday because of the heavy track.

Other changes: The change from a heavy track last Saturday to slow this week is a huge blow to the chances of Spring Tide and Mustang Valley.

The quote: "She galloped really well on Wednesday and we beat Imperatriz last start so we can't worry about her." - Katrina Alexander, co-trainer of La Crique.

The money: Imperatriz was at $2.80 on Monday, and is now into $2, with La Crique at $2.80. There is small support for Prise De Fer.

The verdict: It looks a two-horse race with La Crique having a slight tactical edge with the draw. Big punters could even back both for a near-guaranteed small profit.