Racing: Wet summer puts paid to topweight

Kaapstad Way has become the latest victim of the wet summer - he was yesterday pulled out of the $350,000 Westbury Stud Auckland Cup.

Co-trainer Chris Wood has been frustrated for months over unsuitable wet tracks for Kaapstad Way and gave up trying to get sufficient racing into the high class stayer to enable him to take on the 3200m of the cup at Ellerslie.

"The weather's simply got the better of us - we can't get the races into him."

Kaapstad Way was scratched 1 1/2 hours before the Melbourne Cup because of an unsuitable rain-affected track.

"We've turned him out for six weeks."

Wood said Kaapstad Way did so well while spelling that care was needed to avoid letting the horse get away in condition.

The Sydney autumn carnival is an obvious target for Kaapstad Way after his fine second in the $A1 million Mercedes Classic there this year.

"The tragedy is he's still at the top of his game, but a decision had to be made and it's been made."

A full field of 18 was in place for the Auckland Cup lead-up, the $100,000 Armacup-McKay Queen Elizabeth when acceptances were taken yesterday.

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Don't ask Matamata training partners Mike Moroney and Andrew Scott about barrier draws.

The pair have three acceptors for the 18-horse $150,000 Mercedes Super Bonus Fillies Prelude at Ellerslie on Wednesday and have drawn the three outside barrier positions at the 1100m start.

Baileys On Ice has barrier 16, Country Class No17 and Flying Class No18.

The saving grace is that only 14 can run. The stablemates will improve their position - marginally.

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For Love needs another race going into the $350,000 Westbury Stud Auckland Cup and track conditions will decide whether it's tomorrow's $15,000 Stark South 2000 at Te Rapa.

Yesterday the Te Rapa track was close to heavy and For Love's trainer Tony Cole says he will miss the race unless there is significant improvement.

"Unless it gets back to a good soft, we'll run her instead in the Queen Elizabeth at Ellerslie as a Cup lead-up."

For Love is going for four straight wins on her way to the country's premier staying race.

The way she has been racing, if she gets a half decent surface she could be too good for this field.

In her absence, the Counties pair of Ali Majeed and Ngaio make a lot of appeal.

Ali Majeed has a three-from-three record on soft footing and will appreciate the step up from 1600m to the 2000m.

Ngaio would probably want the track no worse than just soft.