KEY POINTS:
Riccarton raider Shane Marr arrived at Hastings confident his stable star Ombre Rose could give Princess Coup a scare in the Kelt Capital Stakes.
A rock-hard track undid Marr's predictions; the mare beat just one runner home last month.
But with more cushion underfoot in the Lindauer Special
Reserve Vintage Stakes at Ellerslie today, the 6-year-old can finally step out of the weight-for-age shadows.
"She'll give this field a good shake - she's much stronger this time," said Marr last night.
"Last year she was still a bit weak and was getting there on guts as much as anything.
"But she's physically there now; she proved that when she muscled up to them in her first two races at Hastings."
Marr is referring to Ombre Rose's close-up fifth in the carnival opener, the Mudgway Partsworld Stakes (1400m), and next-up blinder for fourth to Princess Coup in the Stoney Bridge Stakes (1600m).
Ombre Rose finished fifth in last year's Stoney Bridge, but bypassed today's weight-for-age feature in 2007 for the group three Cuddle Stakes (1600m) in which she ran second to Kirra Sand.
This time round, however, she's been stabled at Steve Pinfold's Byerley Park barn since her Kelt miss, with a string of northern group targets on her radar.
After the Lindauer Special Reserve Vintage Stakes she backs up in the Eagle Technology Counties Cup on November 22, the race in which she finished a gallant third last year.
She then heads to Te Rapa for the Waikato Times Gold Cup on December 13, and possibly a return to Ellerslie for the Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day.
"We'll just see how she does after that; if she wins one or two of her next ones she's going to be crucified in the handicap," said Marr.
And while Marr says there is still improvement in the mare going into today's big 2000m test, a 1600m exhibition gallop at Ellerslie between races on October 25 proved she's close to her best.
"She does look well placed in this and it looks like we may have fluked the weather," said Marr.
"Everyone falls into Gaze, but we've beaten her every time - except in the Kelt last year when we finished right up her backside."
Ombre Rose's only two previous runs at Ellerslie have been for third in the Counties Cup and a close second at weight-for-age to Melbourne Cup-undercard runner Sir Slick last March.
Gaze, a three-time winner at Ellerslie, is always a threat in a race like this.
But she was a beaten favourite in the same event last year when humbled by weight-for-age minnow Stabinthedark.
Kelt Capital Stakes rival Rios could be hardest to beat.
He jumps from the inside gate - a big advantage in the short run to the first bend - and although only seventh at Hastings, was clearly superior to Ombre Rose and last-placed Gaze.
He never seemed at home on the heavy track at Trentham and weakened to seventh but he's a lot better than that.