Racing: Why Tiptronic comes gift wrapped for Zabeel Classic

Tiptronic finds himself in a field of quality gallopers proven at Group1 level, headlined by Zabeel defending champion Concert Hall. Photo / Trish Dunell

Trainer Graham Richardson is ready for his annual Christmas present: the best version of stable star Tiptronic.

The Group1 winner is just one of the stars in the $240,000 Zabeel Classic on Sunday as racing returns to Ellerslie, with crowd restrictions.

Tiptronic finds himself in a field of quality gallopers proven at Group1 level, headlined by Zabeel defending champion Concert Hall, her recent Group1-winning stablemate Two Illicit, the luckless pair of Aegon and Harlech, Royal Performer, Demonetization, and Sound, returning to Ellerslie from Australia.

It is a who's-who of the New Zealand weight-for-age horses who race here. But while Tiptronic has opened $17 with the TAB bookies, he has proven he can win at this level before, capturing last year's Herbie Dyke under these conditions.

Richardson, who trains him in partnership with Rogan Norvall, says there are two Tiptronics, divided by the arrival of summer.

"He is a totally different horse in spring, we just can't seem to get the best out of him then," he says.

"We have tried everything but when we take him down to races like the Hawke's Bay triple crown in the spring he just doesn't fire. But he turns it on in December and after Christmas is a far better horse."

Tiptronic showed signs of that best when a close third to Two Illicit in the Group1 Captain Cook at Te Rapa last start and the step up to 2000m should suit even better this weekend.

Most importantly, he has a handy barrier at seven, giving him the option of going forward as weight-for-age 2000m races at Ellerslie can be tactically tricky affairs, with far more winners coming from the front half of the field than the back, although that wasn't the case last year.

"I was thrilled with that last start run and he has come on again. It is a good field but he is getting back to his best so we have options. He has been caught three wide in this race the last two years in a row so hopefully he gets a better run but I think he is in for a good summer."

Richardson and Norvall also take their other stable star in Bonny Lass back to the races on Sunday after an interrupted start to the season.

Twice placed at Group1 last season as a juvenile, Bonny Lass was forced out of her spring assignments by a niggle but was a pleasing second to Levante in a Rotorua trial last week.

"We actually got into the Hallmark [open 1200m] on Sunday but we have decided to start in the rating 74 1200m instead," says Richardson. "She drew poorly in both but in the rating 74 we could get Opie [Bosson] to ride her so we hope that helps with the draw."

The stable also has three representatives in the $90,000 race seven for intermediate grade horses over 1500m and Richardson says that in itself is a feat.

"Carolina Reaper is a good mare who was an Oaks starter last season, North of Havana is the most improved horse in the barn and Bahia Emerald had no luck last start so we have three chances in the race."

While the Zabeel Classic is the undoubted highlight of the day, race six pushes it close, pitting unbeaten three-year-old Pareanui Bay against Karaka Million winner On The Bubbles and 2000 Guineas placegetter Field Of Gold in a crucial pointer to the elite three-year-old races of the summer.