Racing: Top Dunstan hopes draw badly

Prairie Star is one of the leading chances in an even Dunstan Feeds Championship at Ellerslie today. Photo / Natalie Slade

It has taken three to four months' preparation to get most of the horses ready for tomorrow's $75,000 Dunstan Feeds Championship at Ellerslie.

It took just two minutes to put a question mark above the heads of the three favourites at Wednesday's barrier draw.

The three TAB favourites - Bone Of Contention, Prairie Star and Miss Sharapova - drew gates 21, 19 and 14.

That's not quite so disastrous when you consider that if the emergencies are the only scratchings - and that looks pretty certain - they will start from barriers 15, 14 and 10.

But it's still not ideal.

This will be one of the most competitive races on the programme and a wide gate means going forward quickly early, which is unlikely with three such stayers, or dropping behind the main bunch, further back than they normally race.

Being passive out of the gates and risking being left three deep is not an option.

Fortunately the trio have three very good tactical riders: Vinny Colgan (Bone Of Contention), Matt Cameron on Prairie Star and Michael Coleman aboard Miss Sharapova.

If Bone Of Contention gets any sort of luck he is going to be tough to handle.

He jumped up two classes from R80 to restricted open at Te Rapa last start and was unlucky not to beat Veloce Bella.

He finished one length away second after having to be dragged across three sets of heels to get out and into the open. The good bit of that bad luck is that he stayed on 54.5kg and did not receive the 1.5kg rehandicap Prairie Star copped for her stylish win on this track on Boxing Day.

His 54.5kg compared with Prairie Star's 56kg looks an attractive incentive, although the mare is high class.

The daughter of High Chaparral has looked good in winning her past two starts and the wide barrier may not be too much of a hindrance, because she drops back early.

Another factor to consider is her ability to handle all tracks, which may come in handy if the rain falls.

Punters will need to factor in the luck here.

So Pristine is a rapidly improving Zabeel staying mare. Last start, she made good ground to finish third to Tullaroan and Cassini in the Manawatu Cup, great form for this type of race. She is the one runner to draw a good gate among the favourites.

Peace Lilly could be the value.

She looked very good winning two starts back and can be forgiven for finishing well back at Te Rapa last start.

Unfortunately, she is another who will have to contend with a wide barrier.

DUNSTAN STAYERS

* Barrier draws have made this race a nightmare for punters.

* The three favourites have all drawn in the outside third of the field at the 2100m.

* So Pristine is the one fancied runner who has drawn well.