Racing: Sam Spratt hopes to land a big fish at New Plymouth

James McDonald is thoroughly delighted to win the Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie yesterday aboard Shez Sinsational. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Sam Spratt is hoping her decision to turn her back on her mounts at Ellers lie tomorrow will be justified with victory by Jetset Lad in the $80,000 Hooker Pacific Taranaki Cup.
Trainer John Wheeler is relatively confident that will be the case.

The key may well be the 1800m, combined with a home track advantage.

It will do no harm to Jetset Lad's chances that he has had three starts at New Plymouth for two wins.

But the race that really tips you into being in his corner for this event is his last-start third in the Thorndon Mile behind Say No More.

He wasn't too far from the speed that day, but he finished powerfully over the 1600m and had that race been 1800m the finish might have been very interesting.

"He's underrated, this horse," says Wheeler. "He's drawn nicely and I expect him to be hard to beat."

There is huge scope in this race and it is not an easy leg in the $500,000 Pick6. There is literally not one run ner who you could say is an impossible chance.

If the surface is firmish, expect Cassini to put the lie to her recent unplaced efforts.

She wasn't happy with the slow track in the City Of Auckland Cup and you can probably forget her sub sequent run at Trentham. She is better than a few of these.

Smoulder, Riomoral and Spiro are all capable of winning.

Watch for an in-depth look at the Taranaki $500,000 Pick6 in tomorrow's Weekend Herald.

In what could be a handy pointer in the second leg, Melbourne jockey Daniel Moor is making the trip to New Plymouth to ride Ockham's Razor in the $75,000 Two-Year-Old Classic.

Moor will replace Craig Williams, who rode the Anthony Freedman- trained colt to win the $1 million Karaka Million at Ellerslie on January 28.

Williams is riding at Flemington tomorrow.

Moor, who rides for the Freedman stable, is ninth on the Victoria country jockeys premiership this season with 36 wins.

Trainer Trent Busuttin has engaged Moor for Star Of Show, an acceptor for the rating 85 2000m and the Taranaki Cup (1800m), because usual rider Rory Hutchings is unavailable.

Busuttin would prefer to start in the rating 85 but Star Of Show needs a scratching to enter the field.