What could have been a very cut and dried Livamol Classic has turned into one of the trickiest punting puzzles of the spring.
And that could leave punters and bookmakers guessing who will even start favourite until the day of the Group 1 at Hastings on Saturday.
Hot favourite La Crique was yesterday officially pulled out of the $330,000 last leg of what has been a bizarre Hawkes Bay triple crown as she will now head to Australia — almost certainly Melbourne for the Empire Rose on October 29.
Her withdrawal saw TAB bookies promote Mustang Valley, who finished second to La Crique at Matamata on Saturday, to favourite for the Livamol with trainer Andrew Forsman confirming she is heading to Hastings.
But Forsman wants a soft track at best, with heavy footing even better, for Mustang Valley and the weather forecast for tomorrow and Thursday is for rain before the sun returns on Friday and Saturday.