Songbird warning
Arabian Songbird may be the most promising horse in today’s Ellerslie feature but her return comes with a warning from co-trainer Robert Wellwood.
Wellwood and Roger James train the 6-year-old, who was last seen when fourth in the Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at Pukekohe in November, an effort that followed two Ellerslie wins this time last season.
With a 4kg claim today, meaning she will carry a featherweight compared with some of her rivals, the best version of Arabian Songbird (R8, No 6) would probably win and the TAB opened her as favourite, but Wellwood is cautious.
“We all know how good she is but it is really hard coming back in this grade after such a long break so she has to be vulnerable,” he told the Herald.
The opening 1400m is a tricky mix of race-hardened performers and others returning from their winter spells, such as last-start Manco Easter runner-up Top Shelf.
The James-Wellwood stable have a strong hand in race one with three reps, including Shore Breeze (No 13), who is favourite on debut after an impressive recent trial.
“She gives us the feel of a really talented filly but it is so hard for horses having their first start against more experienced rivals and we actually think, because of the draws, Spellbound [No 1] is our best hope in that race,” Wellwood said. They also have last-start Champagne Stakes winner Incandescent (R4, No 1) in a strong 3-year-old race today where he meets System Of Play, who was favourite for last Saturday’s Sir Colin Meads Trophy at Hastings until the wet track forced his scratching.
System Of Play looks the one to beat and almost certain to close shorter than his $2.20 opening quote.
Also likely to shorten today is Sarti (R6, No 2), who was luckless from an inside draw at Te Rapa last start but should be better suited by stepping up to 1300m today and with anything like a decent tempo he will be hard to beat, with the obvious danger being Day One (No 1).
Long road to Cup
The only New Zealand-trained Melbourne Cup entry Manzor Blue takes her next step down that path at Trentham today.
Last season’s Wellington Cup winner and Auckland Cup runner-up will be racing well short of her best in the $100,000 Hunterville Vet Club Mile, which looks likely to be run on a Heavy 10.
Manzor Blue sits 60th in the Melbourne Cup rankings after the weights release this week and the iconic race remains but a dream at this stage, with the Lisa Latta-trained mare needing a lot to go right in the next seven weeks to be at Flemington on November 3.
Hi Yo Sass Bomb appeals as the best each-way value in today’s Mile at $10, with the wet track no concern.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.