While she has been jumping far better in recent races she still looks a mare happiest when she can relax early, wind up then explode and barrier 1 doesn’t always provide that clear a pathway.
But the more Elliot thought about the inside draw the more relaxed he became.
“In 2000m races at Te Rapa I find they tend to fan out as horses make their runs wide before the straight,” he offers.
“So I am confident she will get a clear run when we need it.”
Elliot is also bouyed by the fact Legarto has been getting out of the gates so much better and could settle handier than expected with the easier early tempo over 2000m.
“She jumped with the leaders last start over the mile (Aotearoa Classic) but she just got held up later while a very good, under-rated horse in Desert Lightning got the sort of run he likes.
“But the end of that race told me she is looking for a 2000m race, which was always going to be the case with her one day.
“The way she has been hitting the line I think she is stepping up in distance at just the right time.”
One confusing aspect to the Herbie Dyke is the lack of a natural pacemaker and that raises the possibility of a slower tempo with Legarto even sitting in the trail, which would make those taking the odds on feel a lot more comfortable.
Another of the Saturday’s big stars who has drawn a low barrier is Crocetti in the $400,000 BCD Sprint.
He has drawn barrier 1 or 3 in five of his seven starts and the barrier gods split the difference for Saturday giving him barrier 2.
That should be ideal for a natural on-pace runner and gives jockey Warren Kennedy an array of options in the Group 1 over 1400m.
There are enough speedsters drawn out wide to suggest there will be early tempo in the race so it looks set to be run at a good speed.
Favoured contenders Molly Bloom (6), Mary Shan (4) and Sudbina (1) have all drawn handy in the $175,000 Ellis Classic, which could have a huge impact on what pathes they take, the NZ Oaks, Australian black type or the spelling paddock for a freshen up.
The day’s other feature will provide many punters with their multi anchor as plenty will be happy to take the $2 the TAB opened Adam I Am in a $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic that looks made for him.
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.
