Racing: Tuapeka Poet has inside running in fillies' series

Tuapeka Poet is ideally placed at barrier one at Forbury Park tonight to win her second heat of the 3-year-old fillies series.

Tuapeka Poet won a heat of the Nevele R Stud-sponsored series at Addington at her last start on March 3 in a 2:00.3 mile rate for the 1950m (mobile). The distance is 1700m (mobile) tonight.

It was her third win in as many starts since she joined Mark Purdon's Yaldhurst stable. The daughter of In The Pocket and Seamoon won twice at Addington in February.

Purdon will have a second runner in the heat tonight, Affairs Of State. She comes in following the scratching of Diamond Bright and Express Ball.

The Phil Burrows-trained Diamond Bright, a winner at Motukarara on Sunday, was inadvertently drenched on Monday.

"She was not on the list to be drenched but the whole stable was done. She did not eat up and there is sometimes a stomach upset with the wormer," Burrows said.

Affairs Of State ran second to Starhunter in a maiden race at Addington last Friday at her fifth start.

Pam Bromac is the other heat winner of a Sires' Stakes heat engaged tonight. The Kirk Larsen-trained filly won over a mile in 1:57.2 at Ashburton on February 11. She has since won a heat of the Southland Oaks at Invercargill and finished second to Letsgo Jaccka in another heat at the same venue.

Letsgo Jaccka will run tonight.

Time To Fly, a Southland Oaks heat winner at Invercargill on Sunday, is also a starter.

A second line draw may not deter Presidential Reign in the heat of the Sires' Stakes for 2-year-old fillies tonight.

She overcame a second row draw in a field of 12 to win a $15,000 race for 2-year-old fillies over 2200m (mobile) at Invercargill in her only start on March 25. She missed work with a virus leading up to that race.

Presidential Reign has thrived since her win and she easily won a workout against older horses over 2400m (mobile) at Winton last Saturday.

She has nine rivals tonight in the Magness Benrow-sponsored series.

Her Winton trainer Roger Price is not too concerned about her draw.

"We are looking forward to the race. The big thing in her favour is that she has a terrific heart score."

Presidential Reign has drawn two on the second row and she will start behind Scotlynn Jane.

The latter, a member of Dean Taylor's Ladbrooks stable, finished second to Top Tempo in the Nevele R Stakes at Addington on March 12.

Meglea and Beaudiene Bianca are other winners in the field. Meglea won first up at Gore against colts and geldings, finished second to Presidential Reign at Invercargill and won there on Sunday, overcoming a second row draw.

Beaudiene Bianca won at Invercargill on March 31.

Paul Kerr, the Ohoka trainer, has Style By The Mile having her first start. She qualified in 2.00.1 for a mile when second to Moeraki Lad at Ashburton last week.

A $75,000 Ready To Run sale purchase, she is by Presidential Ball out of Stylish Sweetheat, winner of seven races at two.

Kerr, who won the New Zealand Derby with Pay Me Christian last month, has other top prospects in Alta Sirocco (race 5), Louisiana Blue Jean (race 2) and Waihemo Mike (race 10).

Alta Sirocco, who is in a two-win race, ran fifth in the Derby.

"He [Alta Sirocco] was left flat-footed on the home turn when they sprinted in the Derby and lost about three lengths," Kerr said."Then he came again and finished about two lengths from the winner."

Alta Sirocco had won at Addington a week earlier when resuming from an 11-week break.

He was gelded after racing at Auckland in December.