It’s Friday – and it will be all action at Addington and Auckland tonight.
Six Group 1s, including the $225,000 Tennant Engineering Pacing Oaks, will be held at Addington with two Northern Metro Finals and two Country Cups headlining the night at Alexandra Park.
Racing at Addington starts at 5.03pm with Auckland at 5.22pm.
Re-match of the fillies in NZ Oaks
By Michael Guerin
Duchess Megxit may have started this month as our best pacing filly but she has both momentum and the barrier draw against her in tonight’s $200,000 Tennant Engineeering NZ Pacing Oaks (8.32pm) at Addington.
So she is going to need some help from her rivals if she is claim her crown as the princess of pacing back.
The northerner headed south last month as the clear top seed of her crop and hasn’t really been disappointing, it is more that Treacherous Baby has caught up to her, or last start usurped her.
In a shift that few would have seen coming Treacherous Baby dead-heated with Duchess Megxit two starts ago then beat her fair and square in the Nevele R Fillies Final on Cup Day.
“We had no excuses, she was too good that day,” says Duchess Megxit’s co-trainer Scott Phelan,.
“Our filly had to sprint a few times but Treacherous Baby worked hard too and beat us.
“She has definitely closed the gap and that has surprised us because we know how good our filly is.”
Perception has changed so much Treacherous Baby opened the $1.80 favourite for tonight’s Oaks with Duchess Megxit at $5.50 and while they won’t start that far apart the disparity is enticing form punters.
If Treacherous Baby is able to work straight to the lead and gain a clear advantage from her better draw then she is the logical choice but it may not be that simple, particularly with Victoria Oaks winner Coastal Babe drawn inside her.
Her connections were keen for driver Matty White to stay in front against the boys in the $500,000 Velocity last start and while that didn’t pay off they might be keen on the same tactics again in tonight’s weaker field.
If Coastal Babe does lead then racing luck comes into play for Treacherous Baby and she could be vulnerable to the moves of others.
“We’d like to see some speed on up front and then come into the race later,” says Phelan.
“But we know she is well and if she has to come sit parked later in the race she can still go close no matter who is in front.”
Phelan and senior training partner Barry Purdon also have Ultimate Racy Girl in the Oaks and he says she is working every bit as good as Duchess Megxit.
“She was working well before her last start too but raced terrible but I wouldn’t be surprised if she went a lot better this week.”
The enigma of the race is Northern Oaks winner All You Need Is Me, who looked a star in the making when she beat all of tonight’s major players at Alexandra Park back in March but has struggled to perform to anything like that level again.
Add in Coastal Babe, Louies Girl, Ruby Roe and Classic Elegance and this is an Oaks with a lot of moving parts.
New week new hope for northern trainers
By Michael Guerin
Gareth Hughes isn’t letting a horror Cup week deter him from going into Friday’s huge Addington meeting full of hope.
Whether that translates into a win for either Captain Sampson (R6, No.4) or Hot And Dangerous (R9, No.1) is another matter.
The smart juveniles are both trained by Hughes and his father Bunty both had an off week at Cup time, Captain Sampson over-racing in the Sires’ Stakes Final behind Marketplace while Hot And Dangerous lost her action and never looked comfortable in her feature three days later.
They return on Friday for the Betavet Ace of Spades (2YO Colts and Geldings) and the Renwick Farms Ace of Diamonds (2YO Fillies) and Hughes says both should be better.
“We just had one of those weeks and we have to put it behind us,” says the South Auckland horseman.
“Captain Sampson pulled too hard on Cup Day but he has been good in his work since and we expect him to go better.
“But the problem will be Reg’s horse,” Hughes says in reference to mate Regan Todd and his outstanding young pacer Marketplace.
Marketplace came from behind and around Captain Sampson to beat him last start but is drawn inside him this Friday.
“I am not saying we will beat him because he was too good last start but we also aren’t conceding to him.
“I think we can beat him one night but maybe drawn outside him it won’t be this week.
“But either way this trip has made our horse and he has come down here a boy and will go home an adult.”
Marketplace will start red hot as he should and will be run through a stack of multis as he has looked something special and it will take something freakish to deny him two-year-old of the year hours.
Hot And Dangerous got things all wrong on her Addington debut but Hughes expects way better on Friday.
“It was just one of those things last time but I have been tinkering with her gear and I am confident she will pace a lot better this week.
“I think Tim Williams (driving Stella Rouge) will go forward and if he leads I can see him staying there and if she sits in the trail I think she can get some of it.”
Stella Rouge opened $4 but it will surprise if she goes around that long on race night with the two other favourites Captains Mistress ($2.60) and Arafura ($4.50) drawn the second line.
Early pressure or lack thereof could decide the race because if they go hard the swoopers will get their chance in a race that could go a long way to deciding who wins the Juvenile Pacing Filly of the Year title.
Are Meant To Be and Keayang Zahara beatable?
By Michael Guerin
Phil Williamson has won enough major trots to be a realist.
So his thoughts on Friday’s Addington meeting are far more about steering punters towards the favourites rather than his stable’s chances of upsetting them.
Williamson has winning chances runners in both Aces Trots on Friday, with Tarragindi in the IRT Ace of Clubs for the 2YO Colts and Geldings to open the night and Atlantic City in the TAB Ace of Hearts 2YO Fillies Trot.
He also has Empire City facing both Keayang Zahara and barrier 9 in the $140,000 NZ Trotting Oaks later in the night.
“They are all good horses facing tricky situations,” says Williamson.
“Tarragindi (R1, No.2) is a lovely horse but I don’t know how he is going to beat Meant To Be.
“He was too good for us last time and our horse is still very much learning.
“I think the small field helps Meant To Be. If he had to go back to last in a 14-horse field we would be a long way ahead but in a five-horse field I can see him getting parked or even the lead when he wants it.
“So I think he will win.”
Atlantic City has barrier 1 and Williamson says that will suit her as she is still learning to race.
“She is only doing things on natural ability at the moment so to get a trail behind one of the favourites would be ideal.
“But can I see her running past a horse like Habibti Pat? Maybe not.”
The fillies trot is a bigger field so obviously has more chances with one of the best value options being Ocean Eyes for a place.
The northern filly ran on strongly against the boys last start and while she couldn’t beat Habibti Pat (fourth to her third) then she was the best of the other fillies so back to her own sex she looks a great Top 3 chance if not better.
Later in the night Williamson knows beating Keayang Zahara may be beyond Empire City but he is just as confident she is the second best filly in the What The Hill NZ Trotting Oaks.
“The problem is the draw,” he admits.
“We have to start from out wide and if we go forward and burn we use up gas and then Keayang Zahara will come attack later, if she doesn’t go forward straight away as well.
“But if we go back from out there (barrier 9) then we probably get stuck behind horses who aren’t going to take us anywhere.
“So I will leave that up to Ricky (May, driver).”
