Racing: Travel plans best pointer to chances

Kango. Photo / Supplied

Emerging trainer Arna Donnelly says future travel plans are the best pointer to the chances of her four starters in Friday night's Spring Cup at Alexandra Park.

The open-class event contains horses with roles to play in the major races ahead, even if it has lost early favourite Old Town Road after he took some skin off a leg in a minor paddock accident.

That leaves six starters in the 2200m standing start and Cambridge trainer Donnelly has four of them.

While stable star Kango faces a 15m handicap in the tricky small field over the sprint distance Donnelly still opts for him as her best hope.

"He is my best horse and he is the one booked to go to Christchurch for the [NZ] Cup, so that tells the story," says Donnelly.

"These can be tricky races because he might settle last and even have to make his own luck. But he is the class horse of the field and will be improved on last week when he was fresh-up."

On that occasion Kango came from 35m behind to run into third with stablemate Taipo winning off 10m, whereas tomorrow night they are 10m closer in the handicaps.

"Taipo is really well and is a good sprinter who can step well but the other horse might still be too good. But I think Rough And Ready isn't without a hope either."

For all the depth of the two open-class races and a three-year-old boys pace, the highlight of the meeting is the $120,000 Classic — one of the stronger juvenile filly fields assembled.