Racing: Wet track may prove spoiler

SYDNEY - A wet track could play into the hands of the Donna Logan camp when her horses tackle the major races at Eagle Farm today.

It has been raining in Brisbane this week, with Eagle Farm given a slow rating, and more wet weather was expected today.

While New Zealand horses have a strong hand in the day's feature, the A$400,000 ($480,000) group two Winter Stakes (1500m), a heavy track could have a detrimental effect on at least two of them.

Waikato trainer Roger James said a heavy track wouldn't help La Sizeranne, who has drawn well in four and has a 6kg pull in the weights over last year's winner, Miss Potential.

"I'm very happy with her and it is the race I always brought her over for, but I think the wet track might take some of her brilliance away," James said of La Sizeranne yesterday.

His other mare, Hasta La Ciao Ciao, lost some skin in her win at Ipswich last Saturday and had to be treated with anti-inflammatories, ruling her out of the race.

But Logan was unconcerned about the wet weather with Focal Point, who is on a hit-and-run mission for the race, and even more so about stablemate Ring of Fire in the Tattersall's Cup (2400m).

Focal Point has won two out of three starts on slow tracks, while Ring of Fire has won and been second in his two starts on heavy tracks.

Said Logan: "I'm very pleased with both of them and if it's wet it will suit us a lot more than it will for many of the others."

Stephen Baster will ride Focal Point and Stathi Katsidis is engaged for Ring of Fire.

Logan rates Ring Of Fire the equal of any horse she has campaigned in Australia and will aim him for the group one Metropolitan Handicap (2400m) at Randwick in October.

"I'm not sure if he will go on for the Melbourne Cup and I'll wait and see about that as I've got Zabeat headed that way," Logan said.

Ring Of Fire has drawn poorly in barrier 17 but Logan remains unfazed.

"The alley's not a worry and being out wide will probably be an advantage if it gets wetter."

Gee I Jane, who was so game in running second on a rain-affected track in the Stradbroke Handicap a fortnight ago, has won her only start on a slow track.

Her trainer, Neville Couchman, said: "I can't fault her heading into the race. I'm not really worried about the track, but would prefer a firm surface. She can go on all sorts of going."

Miss Potential may be having her last run, but trainer Bill Borrie is unlikely to decide whether that is the case until after today.

She, too, prefers firm footing and while she performs on slow ground, she doesn't like it too heavy.

Ring Of Fire's Kiwi opponents in the Tattersall's Cup are Empyreal, who likes it heavy, Bazelle and Richter Pass, from Alan Jones' Cambridge stable, while the Lance Noble-trained Our Seventh Heaven is second emergency.

Other Kiwis on the Eagle Farm card include La Danske (race two), Anca and Accardo (race three) and Silky Red Boxer (race eight).

Meanwhile, Gold Coast trainer John Wallace is confident Countess Bathory can gatecrash the New Zealand party in the Winter Stakes (1500m).

Despite the strong New Zealand presence and a track rated slow, Wallace is confident Countess Bathory can complete a winning hat-trick in the race.

Countess Bathory was having only her second start this campaign when she won the Listed Glenlogan Park Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on May 20 before a convincing win in the group three Dane Ripper Quality (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 3.

Kevin Forrester rode Countess Bathory on both occasions and will be reunited with the daughter of Dracula today.

Wallace has dismissed a distance query with Countess Bathory as well as her wet-track form, which reads unplaced runs on a slow and a heavy track. She has also never raced further than 1418m.

"The distance isn't a problem and I'm confident she'll get through the ground," Wallace said. "She's on top of her game at the moment and she won't be disgraced. She's proven she's up to the class and I'm hoping the wet track might blunt the brilliance of some of her opposition."

- NZPA