KEY POINTS:
Spirit Of Tara is one of the outsiders in today's Warwick Stakes at Randwick but Gerald Ryan has warned punters not to let him under their guards.
While the Rosehill trainer isn't confident of an upset, he points to the gelding's strong second-up record of three wins from
five starts.
One of those came in the 2005 Listed Festival Stakes over this afternoon's 1400-metre journey, when Spirit Of Tara claimed the race on protest from Our Apache.
He started at A$31 that day, the same price he is quoted in early TAB Sportsbet markets for the Warwick Stakes.
"His second-up form is good," Ryan said yesterday.
"He's bright and well and free in his action and his first-up run with 62.5 kilos was very solid so I was happy with that.
"He is hard to place because in his right class he gets too much weight and he's probably just below the top weight-for-age horses.
"But he doesn't mind wet tracks and he'll run well."
Ryan said Racing to Win is undoubtedly the horse to beat despite not having raced since last year's Cox Plate.
"Of course he will be vulnerable, first-up on a heavy track over 1400 metres, but he is a class horse and they can do anything," Ryan said.
* Road To Rock will get his last roll of the dice to qualify for next week's A$1 million Golden Rose in today's group three Up And Coming Stakes at Randwick.
With just A$10,000 prizemoney, Road To Rock is well down the Golden Rose order of entry headed by Golden Slipper winner Forensics, but a victory in the Up And Coming (1200m) would bank A$72,000 and bolster his chances of gaining a berth.
Trainer Anthony Cummings hasn't given up hope the colt can gain a Golden Rose start despite admitting today's race, which includes group one Champagne Stakes winner Meurice, is a difficult assignment.
Under the set weights and penalties conditions today, Meurice will carry topweight of 57kg, three kilos more than Road To Rock.
"He's up against some tough opposition but the weights are certainly in his favour and he's having his first start in blinkers," Cummings said yesterday.
"If he concentrates ... he'll be competitive."
TAB Sportsbet last night had Meurice as the A$2.40 favourite for the time-honoured event.
The Gerald Ryan-trained Rapid Jacko, who ran a long head second to El Cambio in last Saturday's group three Run To The Rose (1300m), was the second pick at A$4.40.
Meanwhile, AJC track manager David Hodgson said he expected the course to race well but conceded it had received a lot of rain.
"It's obviously wet, we've had around 86mm for the week and had showers again yesterday and today," Hodgson said last night.
"It's a heavy eight (penotrometer) but it's in really good condition and it should race well."
Racing To Win's trainer John O'Shea has said his star would not run if the track was too heavy.
He is expected to make a final decision this morning the morningbut if he is scratched, O'Shea saidhe would save him for tomorrow week's Concorde Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill.
The Warwick Stakes has been won by the likes of Kingston Town, Super Impose, Sunline, Lonhro and the O'Shea-trained Private Steer.
- AAP