If Veloce Bella has to have her last race tomorrow it's a good thing it's at Te Rapa. The high class mare loves the place.
The in-foal Veloce Bella has had six starts at 2000m at Te Rapa and won four of them. She has also had one run at
2100m there and won that.
Her only defeats came when third in both the Darci Brahma International - which sees her swansong tomorrow - and the Casino Cup two years ago, when probably not in quite the same form she has shown more recently.
Veloce Bella is coming off a beaten run in the Wellington Cup, in which she at no stage emerged from the back of the pack.
That race was an afterthought following her victory in the Trentham Stakes a week earlier and the wet track on Cup day was right against her.
Veloce Bella might be a difficult mare to work with at home, but she has built up a solid public fan club and it will be an emotional moment if she gets over the line first for her second group one victory.
The slight negative is the No 10 barrier draw, which is not ideal at the 2000m at Te Rapa, but Veloce Bella tends to get back off the speed early and it may not prove to be an enormous disadvantage.
Out there with her in the starting gate alongside will be Booming, who the TAB opened up a solid $3 favourite yesterday morning.
The barrier draw may end up being worse for Booming, who has won his last two races, the group one Zabeel Classic and group one Thorndon Mile, off classic inside runs.
That almost certainly is not going to happen from the No 9 barrier tomorrow.
The Thorndon Mile particularly was won simply by the rails run - any runner that came more than one or two horses wide at Trentham that day was sunk.
He still rates a strong chance though.
So does his stablemate Vosne Romanee, who looked to be almost back to his brilliant best when making ground solidly to be three lengths from Booming at the finish of the Zabeel Classic after suffering from a wide barrier.
You can forget his last-start effort at Trentham when he was never a chance under 58.5kg on a wet track.
He, too, has suffered in the barrier draw, coming away with the outside gate of the 12 runners. Trainer Jeff Lynds is particularly disappointed with his barrier.
"He just can't draw a decent gate, it's happened to him all season."
Lynds said he could not declare the likely tactics from the outside gate for Vosne Romanee until he talks it through with rider Hayden Tinsley.
"If he got a good sit just behind them he'd be right in the mix, no doubt about it. But how will be manage that."
Red Ruler and the two stablemates Mill Duckie and November Rain are solid chances in an even looking field.
DARCI BRAHMA
* Veloce Bella says goodbye to the racetracks tomorrow.
* The in-foal mare has a wonderful record at Te Rapa and won this race last year.
* Stablemates Vosne Romanee and Booming have come away with awkward barrier draws.
MIKE DILLON'S WEEKEND PICKS
NOTABLE CLASHES
They're everywhere through the Te Rapa card. One of the best will be King's Rose versus Dating in the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic.
DON'T MISS IT
The Waikato Draught at 5.07pm. Something special might be about to happen.
PROMISING
Fleur De Lune in the last. Bolted home on debut and unlucky in only other start.
FOND FAREWELL
Let's hope Veloce Bella can kiss racing goodbye with victory in the group one tomorrow.
STRONG HANDS
Stables to follow tomorrow, Richard Collett, Stephen McKee and the Bakers.
FORGIVE LAST TIME
Shantaine, Race 4.
It will be an emotional moment if Veloce Bella gets over the line first tomorrow. Photo / Greg Bowker
If Veloce Bella has to have her last race tomorrow it's a good thing it's at Te Rapa. The high class mare loves the place.
The in-foal Veloce Bella has had six starts at 2000m at Te Rapa and won four of them. She has also had one run at
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