Wheeler has form team for weekend

JOHN WHEELER has form runners in the three domestic features tomorrow, spread over two meetings.

The New Plymouth trainer expects Pooka’s Sister to run well in the $50,000 Interprovincial (1600m) on her home track while his classy jumpers El Patron and Yamanaura should be prominent at the Pakuranga Hunt meeting at Ellerslie.

A sister to the Group I winner The Pooka, Pooka’s Sister showed she had come up well in the fresh preparation when close second in rating 75 company at Hawera last week, in her first race since October.

However, the Interprovincial has arrived earlier than Wheeler would have preferred. “She had a tough run first up but she appears to have come through it well enough,” he said. “It’s a good stake, so when she made the field, I thought I’d take the risk and back her up.”

Pooka’s Sister, who has had three wins and five seconds from 17 starts, went to the spelling paddock soon after scoring over 2000m at New Plymouth last September. “She damaged a hock lashing out on the truck and was out for six months,” Wheeler said.

Pooka’s Sister was at $14 in final field betting yesterday. Pencuri opened as a $5.50 favourite with Perfect Start at $6.50, One Above at $7 and The Flying Affair at $9.

Meanwhile, El Patron and Yamanaura have both come through the national meeting in good order. El Patron contests the Pakuranga Hunt Cup tomorrow and Yamanaura the open hurdle.

“They should be ready enough [this weekend] but there is improvement in them,” Wheeler said. “I don’t want them absolutely ready because the big ones [Great Northern Steeples and Hurdles] are in two weeks’ time.

“I gave them a decent gallop on Tuesday and I was happy with how they came through that.”