“She has obviously never been in a straight race so that is one thing we don’t know and I don’t really know the opposition but we have Craig [Williams] up and he will know them all inside and out.”
With New Zealand’s unexpected rise up the sprinting power ranking and Alabama Lass’ stunning performances in some high-profile races here, the bookmakers have taken note and after opening $2.75 during the week she will start a warm favourite tomorrow.
“Obviously, we would love to win but it is also a fact-finding mission for next season,” Kelso said.
“If she handles the travel and racing and performs well it would give her a lot more options next season.”
While Alabama Lass will have a need for speed tomorrow, La Crique will need plenty of stamina in the A$1.5 million Tancred, which could be run on a heavy track if the forecast rain arrives.
Trainers Katrina and Simon Alexander were hoping a month ago the Tancred might end up light on numbers and Group 1 form, as has been the case in some recent years. It is not.
La Crique faces overseas stars Dubai Honour and Vauban, the latter now trained in Sydney and gutsy when winning fresh up. With plenty of other Australian-trained imported talent in the race, the Alexanders realise the Group 1 is not a soft target.
“It definitely hasn’t come up as that and, to be honest, now we’d be stoked with a third-to-fifth finish,” Simon Alexander said.
“There is supposed to be a fair bit of rain and that wouldn’t bother us even if people may not think she is a wet tracker.
“We think that will give her a chance to show her stamina and if she does that we will seriously look at the Sydney Cup [April 12].”
Other Kiwis heading to Rosehill tomorrow with stamina required and an eye on even bigger things include Golden Century and Mustang Morgan in the A$300,000 Tulloch Stakes, a race that has been kind to New Zealand horses in the past decade.
Both were good in the NZ Derby, finishing third and fourth behind Willydoit, and good performances tomorrow will see them join him in the ATC Derby the following Saturday.
Golden Century has finished one place ahead of Mustang Morgan in the Avondale Guineas and the Derby, but how they handle the expected wet track tomorrow could be the key factor in who has the superior chance.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
