Wet Ellerslie track worries Williams
Trainer thinks their seven-strong team will still start today
Aheavy track at Ellerslie isn’t exactly how trainer Peter Williams saw the launch of his season proper going. But that doesn’t mean the sevenhorse assault Williams and wife Dawn will unleash today won’t be successful, it just raises a few unknowns.
The training couple have been deliberately quiet this spring, waiting for the better tracks, so have had just one winner from 10 starters in the first two months of the season.
They hoped today’s meeting would see a good Ellerslie surface so it became the kick-off point for their first sizeable team of the season but once the rain came to Auckland after acceptances the track turned to a Heavy10 with only a slight chance of an upgrade.
But Peter Williams says while that is anything but ideal he thinks their team will still start.
“A few of them are fresh up and they have to start racing somewhere so while we didn’t really want a wet track I’ll assess it in the morning and most of them will start.”
The one horse it won’t bother is Midnight Runner (race three), the favourite for the $35,000 Auckland Co-Op Taxis 1200m.
He has raced six times on heavy tracks for three wins and three placings but showed he is versatile with two 1200m wins in good company on dead tracks late last season.
He finished third in a trial at Ruakaka 11 days ago and Williams says he is thrilled with Midnight Runner’s progress since.
“He is ready and the fact he is fresh up won’t be an excuse,” said Williams.
“He is in a race he can win but the danger will be Lupelani because she is fit, can handle the wet and gets a claim so only has to carry about 51kg.
“So that is the main one I am worried about but our horse can win for sure.”
The Williams also bring last season’s NZ Oaks placegetter Star Karen back today and believe if she was in a rating65, where most onewin horses would be, she would win.
But her Oaks placing behind Sentimental Miss earned her 17 rating points, jumping from 62 to 79 and she resumes today as a rating77 mare, which throws her into a very strong rating82.
To make matters worse she also finds herself up against winter midgrade finds like Obsessive, No Loitering and Cossack Warrior so faces a tough comeback.
“I think she has been killed by that Oaks placing and she might even end up in Australia because of it,” warns Williams.
The stable’s first runner today is Tears Of Jupiter, a filly they rate highly, but she meets some class opposition in race two and Williams believes she is at least one race away from winning fitness.
“The maidens have a chance in race four, where I’d slightly favour Early Morning Rise over Destination,” he adds.
“Friday Wolfe in race six should handle the heavy track better than most of ours because she has won here on a heavy before while Victoria has also won on the heavy but has the breeding that she will probably go to stud this season.”
Meanwhile, the stable’s 1000 Guineas winner from last season Media Sensation could trial at Avondale on Tuesday.
The maidens have a chance in race four, where I’d slightly favour Early Morning Rise over Destination.
Peter Williams