Local club opens stands for all

Wairarapa trainers have useful hand at 'user-friendly' meeting

Masterton Racing Club has a "user-friendly" raceday planned for its meeting to be held at Woodville tomorrow with no gate charge, open stands, the upstairs members bar open to all comers and an eight-race card well supported by the local trainers.

There are no standouts among the Wairarapa-trained contingent but with several runners working their way back into form some of the stakes on offer could fall to the locals.

Aaron Bidlake will be hoping for an improved performance second-up from his capable mare Bella Carolina in race 6, a Rating 75 over 1400m.

She failed to fire a shot at Trentham on April 7 in her first start back from a five-month spell, but if she comes quickly to hand she would be well up to figuring in the finish here and any rain before raceday would only enhance her chances.

Bidlake has Evasive Tracy entered in race four, for maiden stayers over 2100m.

The filly is owned by Barry Southey and is stepping up over ground having two starts and a trial since coming back into work.

Her last-start effort - on this track only eight days ago - was a reasonable effort and she was running on at the business end to finish up mid-field. Her opposition includes Canso, trained by part-owner Herb Renall at Opaki.

Canso has stepped out on four occasions without yielding a cash return for her owners but has shown just enough to justify her presence on raceday and could be a better proposition over the longer distance.

Gerry disappointed at Woodville on April 19 after racing well at Trentham only a few days earlier and trainer Alby MacGregor will be expecting better things in the second race tomorrow.

Apprentice Jess Shackleton will claim 3kg off the gelding's back which should help, even if the draw doesn't.

Owner-trainer Polly MacDonald was to line up her very promising gelding Rebel's Ransom, but after his stylish win at Awapuni on Anzac Day has elected not to back him up.

Rebel's Ransom relished the longer trip at Awapuni and is likely to line up next Friday at Hastings.

Watch out for a couple of horses trained out-of-district but with local connections.

In race one, Miss Rule will be on debut in the 2-year-old.

She is prepared at Awapuni by Roydon Bergerson for Justice Lowell Goddard, who owns a property in Wairarapa, and has had one trial finishing second of seven.

In the last race, Wayne Jeffcoat has Me Aroha entered. Jeffcoat, a former top jockey, now lives in Te Aroha but has strong family ties to Carterton.