Racing: Tyranny of distance a key factor

The distance of the Championship Stakes is ideal for three-year-old Arby. Photo / Race Images

Distance will be the key factor on trainer Darryn Weatherley’s mind as he chases a Group 3 double at Pukekohe tomorrow.

While he is sure the distance of the Championship Stakes is ideal for three-year-old Arby, he admits the Easter Mile is a throw at the stumps with speedster mare Maria Farina.

Maria Farina has raced past 1400m only once — 1500m in January last year — but has been a huge late-season improver over 1200 and 1400m in recent weeks.

She is in career-best form and with tomorrow being the last race of her campaign, her Matamata trainer thinks the Easter is the right race to see whether he has a sprinter-miler for next season, or just a sprinter.

“We considered the 1200m race with her on Saturday as well but she is in great form and this is our chance to find out whether she can get to a mile,” says Weatherley.

“If she had drawn handy I would have given her a huge chance but from her wide barrier we are going to have to go back and ride her cold.”

While Pukekohe can lend itself to swoopers, tomorrow’s race could be a hard race to attempt that in as many of the better chances — Habana, Tavattack and White Noise — can all race handy and have the draws to do that, so Maria Farina could end up needing luck and tempo.

Arby is also a horse who can get back in his races, but luck tends to be easier to find in 2100m three-year-old events and plenty of his rivals could struggle with the distance, whereas he stormed home to win the Manawatū Classic over key race rival Desert Lightning last start.

“He will love the distance,” says Weatherley. “We have always thought a lot of him and he showed that last start and we don’t think he is finished yet.

“He has come through the last-start win well and if he happens to win this then we are looking at the Queensland Derby with him.

“We think he is good enough to go there and on paper he should be a huge chance on Saturday.”

As impressive as Arby was winning last start, Desert Lightning will take some beating as he has a great record at Pukekohe, having won the Avondale Guineas over Waitak and finishing third, beating home Legarto, in the Karaka Million Classic.

Another chance is Cheval D’Or, third to Arby in the Manawatū Classic.