Racing: Ritchie delighted with preparation of favourite Roi D'Jeu

Shaune Ritchie. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

There might have been Cup dropouts, but there doesn't appear too much wrong with the rest of them.

Certainly among the favourites.

"I've never had this horse better," says Roi D'Jeu's trainer Shaune Ritchie.

Bookmakers shortened Roi D'Jeu into $4.50 outright favourite with the Passchendaele scratching.

"With 51kg and Craig Williams on his back he's going to get his chance."

Williams and Glen Boss (Innocent Lady) are the two international riders competing for Auckland Cup honours.

Market:

$4.50 Roi D'Jeu.
$4.80 Showcause.
$7 Innocent Lady.
$7.50 Mr Tipsy.
$12 Titch.
$14 Trilogy.
$15 Capecover.
$16 Cassini.
$18 Solid Billing, Tinseltown
$26 Can't Keeper Down, He's Under The Gun.
$31 Fazza.
$51 Tin Goose, Zabene, Castle Heights.
$81 Payback, Mr Zatopek.

The Ellerslie footing is expected to be back to near perfect by the time of Race 1 tomorrow.

Which will be a marvellous recovery from the terrible conditions the rain created for Saturday's Telecom Derby.

Auckland Racing Club racing manager Andrew Castles said last night that he and the track staff expected the footing this morning to be back to a dead 6.

"And, given the fine weather forecast, the track manager believes a dead 4 rating would be the most likely scenario for race morning.

"That would be just about perfect I would have thought."

The TAB hasn't over reacted to King's Rose being beaten out of the money in Saturday's Lowland Stakes at Hastings.

You can still get only $3 about her chances in the Oaks at Trentham.

The only move was shortening into $6 second favourite of the Lowland winner Midnight Oil.

The effort of King's Rose at Hastings was superb given she was in an impossible position around the home turn, seemingly unable to manage the rain-affected footing.

Nothing finished faster.

Insurgent will be pleased King's Rose is absent for a change when she competes in tomorrow's $45,000 Mercedes-Benz Sunline Vase.

The Roger James-trained filly has chased King's Rose in her past two runs, the Royal Stakes at Ellerslie and Te Rapa's Sir Tristram Fillies Classic.

She finished just behind the placegetters in the Royal Stakes after drawing a wide gate then ran second to King's Rose from an inside barrier at Te Rapa.

One of the toughest to beat will be Annie Higgins, who finished in front of her at Ellerslie and only a long neck behind at Te Rapa.