Auckland Cup: Trainer says mare will stay

Pondarosa Miss looms as an each-way prospect for the Auckland Cup at Ellerslie tomorrow. Photo / Trish Dunell

With Na Botto as a measuring stick Peter Hollinshead is confident with Pondarosa Miss.

Peter Hollinshead has an outstanding yardstick to gauge Pondarosa Miss' staying ability and he's confident she can star at the ultimate flat distance.

The Te Awamutu trainer is as sure as he can be that the mare will master the 3200m of the Auckland Cup.

"You don't know until you try, but I will be surprised if she doesn't run it out - she settles well in her races," Hollinshead said.

His optimism is based on his past experience with a horse that twice placed in Australasia's most sought-after distance prize. "She's every bit as good a stayer as Na Botto was and he ran a third and a fourth in the Melbourne Cup."

Victory at Ellerslie tomorrow would see him going down the same path to Flemington later in the year with Pondarosa Miss.

"The aim has always been the Auckland Cup to try and qualify her for the Melbourne Cup," Hollinshead said. "She's fit and ready to go now she's got rid of that virus."

Hollinshead ventured to Trentham three starts back fully expecting Pondarosa Miss to open her group one account in the Thorndon Mile.

"Her work had been as good as ever before that and I thought she was close to a certainty. That's the thing about viruses, they don't always show any signs."

After her Trentham failure, Pondarosa Miss finished sixth in the Herbie Dyke Stakes and an eye-catching seventh from a wide gate in the Avondale Cup.

"She had to run as a lead-up to Auckland and from that draw with the rail out it was impossible, but she still only finished 2 lengths from the winner," Hollinshead said.

"I was pleased with her and Noel Harris said she coughed a couple of times. She's clear of it now and her work on Saturday morning and this morning was very, very good."

In other cup week news, New Zealand Derby hero Mongolian Khan may not run again before next month's A$2 million ATC Derby.

The colt has already proved his effectiveness without a lead-up outing. "We haven't decided yet, but he didn't have a run for seven weeks when he won first up over 2000m," co-trainer Murray Baker said. "He's a tough horse and a good stayer - the faster they go the better it suits him."

- NZ Racing Desk