Horse Racing: Cup raiders under the weather

By Mike Dillon

Perverse weather looks like underarming Kiwi gallopers All In Fun and Lately in Australia.

Class act All In Fun is heading for Saturday's $A50,000 Winter Cup at Rosehill after his desperately unlucky fourth in the $A150,000 Grafton Cup last week while Lately takes on today's $A148,000 Caloun- dra Cup.

Problem is, Lately needs a wet track, which Queensland looks to have finally run out of, while All In Fun gets the other side of the weather map in Sydney.

On Sunday the Caloundra meeting was so wet and heavy you could barely see the far side of the track on television. Typical of Queensland weather at its best, the footing yesterday was almost firm again, while Sydney's Rosehill meeting on Saturday is in danger after heavy rain.

Unless it rains on Queensland's Sunshine Coast overnight, Lately's co-trainer Colin Jillings will feel his luck is out.

It has rained almost constantly throughout the past month of the Queensland winter racing carnival and to arrive there for one race with Lately, who is at his best in the worst footing, and see yesterday's good track conditions is a test of character.

Sydney Turf Club racing manager John Nicholson yesterday cast serious doubt on the viability of Saturday's Rosehill meeting and Sunday at Canterbury.

"It's been raining solidly here for two days and there is no sign of it giving up. Hawkesbury is called off today because of the conditions and our meeting at Rosehill is no good thing."

Which is bad news for the All In Fun camp after striking the worst possible luck at Grafton last week, being caught at the tail of the field under topweight in a slowly run race and denied clear room ahead until very late in the race.

The Summer Cup at Rosehill, if it goes ahead, is worth $A100,000 less than today's Caloundra Cup.

"We considered going up to Queensland from Grafton, but it meant a 13-hour float trip back to Sydney to fly home because there are no more direct flights from Brisbane," said co-owner Tom Mc- Donald.

If he struck a heavy track, Lately would be a strong chance today. His local form was that of an improver and few horses handle wet tracks as well.

Watch it doesn't rain overnight for him.