Racing: Wide draw hampers Vosne Romanee's attempt at double

Jeff Lynds isn't letting on what he said when he first saw yesterday's barrier draw for Saturday's $250,000 Spring Classic at Hastings.

But you've got a fairly good idea.

The Awapuni trainer's two headline gallopers, Wall Street and Vosne Romanee, drew the two outside barriers, No 13 and No 14, at the tricky 2040m starting point.

Vosne Romanee won last year's race, then named the Kelt Capital Stakes, and Wall Street, this year, has won the final lead-up $200,000 Windsor Park Plate after being beaten a nose in the first group one of the season, the $200,000 Mudgway Stakes.

The high-class duo are going to need things go their way through the last 1600m of the race if they want to feature again.

There is a relatively short run to the first bend and no favours are asked for or given when racing at this level.

There are two options - run hard from the first stride to try and cross the field to either lead or sit outside it without being more than one horse width off the rail, or drop to the back.

Leaving the starting stalls passively and being caught three wide in mid-field is not an option.

Either of the first two choices present problems.

In their favour is they have two outstanding big-race riders on their backs: Opie Bosson (Vosne Romanee) and Michael Coleman.

Keep The Peace has drawn out just a fraction at No 9. My Keepsake will come out of gate No 12 and Ginga Dude has drawn best of the leading chances at No 6, along with The Hombre in No 2.

Ginga Dude's trainer and part owner Graeme Boyd will simply shake his head if his horse wins the big race.

There is no question Ginga Dude should have won the race last year, instead of finishing second. He sat three wide without cover throughout and went down by three-quarters of a length to Vosne Romanee.

Standing in the birdcage waiting for the horses to return last year, Boyd said: "I'm going to come back and win this race if it kills me."

He might well do that but it will be bitter sweet - last year's race was run for $1.2 million and this year $250,000.

"We got $186,000 for running second last year and this time the winner gets $156,000."

Boyd is not saying that he won't take it as a going-away present for a campaign in Melbourne.

The Hastings track was watered for about half an hour yesterday, after a similar watering on Tuesday.

The club is attempting to eliminate the firm crust that has formed on the track since the last meeting.

"We had a lot of wind since Windsor Park Stakes Day and it really only eased on Monday," said club executive Kim Treweek.

"It came back to a firm 2 and if we hadn't put water on with the reasonably decent winds we're still getting and the 20-plus temperature days, the track would get back to a fast reading and no trainer would want that at this time of the season."

Showers are predicted for Hastings today, easing to perhaps a few light showers tomorrow.

"If they're right and that's all it's going to be, then the watering was very necessary."

TAB bookmakers reacted quickly to the barrier draw and promoted Keep The Peace from almost a distant third favourite to Wall Street and Vosne Romanee to near joint favouritism with Wall Street.

Wall Street is $3.80 favourite with Keep The Peace on $3.80.

Vosne Romanee is the big drifter to $6.50.

The remainder of the market: $8 Ginga Dude, $10 Veloce Bella, $15 My Keepsake, The Hombre; $18 Hoorang, $21 Fritzy Boy, $26 Illuminates, Time Keeper; $31 Hold It Harvey, $61 Bruce Almighty, $201 Pyrate Princess.