Racing: Telepathic senses winning chance

Telepathic is rated as the $3.80 second favourite behind Pheidon at $3 in the Rough Habit Plate. Photo / Sarah Ivey

This is a pretty good guide to how the New Zealanders might perform at the major meeting as the Queensland winter carnival starts in earnest at Doomben today.

Co-trainer Donna Logan rates fellow Kiwi Glorious Lad as the danger to her own well-fancied Telepathic in the A$126,100 Rough Habit Plate.

Telepathic, a real rising star, is rated as the $3.80 second favourite behind the Gai Waterhouse trained Pheidon at $3.

Shaune Ritchie's 3-year-old Glorious Lad was yesterday quoted at $6.

Telepathic has had only the six starts, winning three and has yet to race against the best of her age, but has always looked to be on her way to success at the elite level.

At her last start on Anzac Day at Avondale she beat Glorious Lad by half a length.

"Even though we beat him, I thought Shaune's horse went very well that day. He's the one I'm most worried about," said Logan.

Telepathic has yet to be tried beyond 1600m, but Logan sees today's 2000m as a real bonus. "And after that I think she'll be looking to run further, which brings the Oaks and Derby into focus.

"We haven't decided which of those two races we'll go for yet. She's racing against the boys this time and we'll see how she measures up to them before deciding on the Oaks or the Derby."

The A$400,000 Queensland Oaks is run at Eagle Farm on May 31 and the A$500,000 Derby a week later.

Logan is delighted Brisbane's weather has defied the earlier forecasts and stayed fine. "That's really going to play into our hands."

Logan has always said she has rated Telepathic little if at all inferior to her Oaks-winning star Rising Romance and that may be the comparison between her and Glorious Lad today.

In the Derby at Ellerslie there was a gap between Rising Romance finishing second and third-placed Glorious Lad and Rising Romance was unlucky not to have finished further ahead.

If there is only 1 lengths difference between Rising Romance and Telepathic that should keep Glorious Lad at bay today.

Pheidon finished sixth in the Tulloch Stakes then second to Arabian Gold in the Packer Plate.

Australian bookmakers have New Zealand pair Zennista and Lauren Tate equal second favourite at $9 for the A$125,000 Chairman's Handicap (2000m).

Lauren Tate comes off her surprise win in the Travis Stakes at Te Rapa and Zennista has had two preparatory runs in New Zealand.

Zennista faces a fairly tough task with 59kg topweight and Lauren Tate looks comfortable on 55kg, one kilo above the minimum.

The $2.50 favourite is the Chris Waller-trained Danchai, who last start finished second to Spillway in the JRA Plate at Randwick. The other New Zealander engaged is Perfect Start, rated at $18.

Wayne Hillis' Rough Copy is listed at $10 in the Mick Dittman Plate against the $2.70 favourite Havana. He will be ridden by James McDonald.

The extent of an injury which has forced Snitzerland out of the Group One BTC Cup will be determined by scans on her leg and shoulder.

Trainer Gerald Ryan said the mare was working well yesterday morning when his son Blake, who was aboard, pulled her up.

"It was very sudden and when that happens it's usually a joint but that doesn't appear to be the case," Ryan said.

"It seems to be a muscle so we'll get her scanned and find out exactly what it is.

"It's such a shame because she had been working so well and there hasn't been as much rain as was predicted.

"The main thing is Snitzerland is happy and eating her feed and doesn't seem to be in pain."

The withdrawal of the Lightning Stakes winner leaves a field of seven for today's A$400,000 BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben with local hero Buffering the $1.85 favourite ahead of Spirit Of Boom at $5.

Snitzerland's stablemate Hot Snitzel is the third favourite at $7.50.

Dwayne Dunn has waited 15 months to ride Gregers in today's Group One Goodwood at Morphettville.

Dunn won on Gregers when the filly made a successful debut at Moonee Valley in February last year before steering her into fourth at her next start in the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes.

But circumstances kept Dunn out of the running to ride the David Hayes-trained Gregers again with Chad Schofield, Kayla Nisbet, Michael Rodd and Craig Williams partnering the three-year-old in her subsequent runs.

Williams rode Gregers to third in the Group One Robert Sangster Classic last time out before heading to Japan for two months, leaving the mount open for Dunn in Adelaide's premier sprint.

Dunn says a fitter Gregers can improve on her Sangster Classic performance in today's A$500,000 contest. "She probably lacked a little bit of fitness so she'll improve from that and dropping a kilo in weight will only help her."

Dunn said barrier five was perfect for Gregers and TAB punters agree, backing the three-year-old from $11 into $10 yesterday.

- Additional reporting, AAP