Racing: Te Rapa favourites can handle the damp

Bostonian is favourite for the $100,000 feature today. Photo / NZME

If the forecast rain arrives today for Te Rapa's $100,000 James and Annie Sarten Memorial it won't for a second worry the connections of the three race favourites.

Bostonian, Gift Of Power and Hard Merchandize are all capable on rain-affected tracks, offering a completely different scenario to most years.

The Tony Pike-trained Bostonian was yesterday the $4.20 favourite after his first-up win in the Sir Colin Meads Trophy and then close second in the Hawke's Bay Guineas. Both were run on rain-affected footing, the first on a slow 9.

"He came back from Hastings in great order and is very well for this race," said Tony Pike. "He went very well in the Guineas after sitting three wide throughout. I thought he was brave to the finish given the run he had."

Hard Merchandize beat Bostonian by half a head in the Guineas and trainer Gary Vile says he is not at all worried about the prospect of rain.

"He enjoys some cut in the ground, but he's okay without the rain as well."

The Burgundy colt won three barrier trials last season and three of his five races, the last two on a heavy 10 track with the earlier race on a decent track at a dead 6.

He has led in most of his races and showed he could stretch that to 1400m for the first time in the Guineas at Hastings. The same again this time does not worry Vile. "I'm very very happy with him. He's gone forward since Hastings." You had to be impressed with the recent fresh-up winning run of Gift Of Power at Taupo. The track was officially a slow 8, but the class filly ran the 1000m in 59.73 seconds.

She showed clearly she could handle rain by winning in one of her first three victories as a 2-year-old on a heavy 10 surface at Trentham. She cleared out by two and a half lengths at Taupo and this race looks perfectly set up for her. Gift Of Power is the $5 second favourite behind Bostonian with Hard Merchandize at $7 third favourite. Gingernuts' brother Griffin is at $8.50 fourth favourite.

Tony Pike also has Sacred Rebel running and he has drawn wide at No 14. But that may not be his worst obstacle - he needs a firm track to produce his best and if rain arrives he will be disadvantaged.

Early in the day Ohceedee (No5, R2) should be difficult to beat after his eye-catching sixth in the Hawke's Bay Guineas - a top run for a maiden. He was finding the line nicely in that 1400m and should be ideally suited to today's 1600m. The same applies to Kyrie Eleison (No3).

Karisto (No15, R4) is another who will go close to quitting maidens. He has a nice draw to lead to the right passage from which to lodge his big finish from.

Stolen Dance (No2, R5) could be the value bet of the day. She is top class, but will need a reasonable surface to produce her peak run. Too much rain would hamper her chances.