Horse racing: Pukekohe could hardly have hoped for a better Boxing Day card

Molly Brown at Taupō.

Two hot fields of t3-year-olds could upstage the older Group 1 heroes as Pukekohe prepares for a mega meeting to send off its biggest ever year.

While the New Zealand thoroughbred industry eagerly awaits the relaunch of Ellerslie on January 14 and even more so the TAB Karaka Millions meeting on January 27, what shouldn’t be overlooked is the epic job Pukekohe has done filling in while Ellerslie has been closed for the installation of a StrathAyr track.

There has been plenty of help from Te Rapa picking up meetings like the Railway and New Zealand Derby but Pukekohe has staged a Karaka Millions and Auckland Cup meeting without any major drop-off in the quality of racing.

Pukekohe will end its year as Auckland’s main track with huge Boxing Day and New Year’s Day meetings behind handing back over to Ellerslie.

They could hardly have hoped for a better Boxing Day card with the pool of horses actually still racing at this time of the season, when many of the spring stars have taken a break and are still preparing to return.

The $450,000 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic may lack a Legarto but it as still attracted plenty of genuine Group 1 performers including Aegon, who is stepping back up to middle distance for the first time since being luckless in this race two years ago.

Campionessa, who pushed Prowess close in the Bonecrusher NZ Stakes this track and distance in March, was immediately backed in from $2.80 to $2.50 when the Zabeel market opened yesterday.

While the Zabeel Classic will also include the Chris Waller-trained No Compromise, who won the Metropolitan 14 months ago but hasn’t won a race since, before the weight-for-age feature on Tuesday there are two red hot 3-year-old races.

Auckland Thoroughbred Racing’s move to bring the Shaws Wire Ropes Auckland Guineas back a week and reduce it from 1600 metres to 1400m has worked as more high-class 3-year-olds can use it as a stepping stone to the group 1 Levin Classic at Trentham on January 13 or the Karaka Millions Three-Year-Old on January 27.

That will see KM winner Tokyo Tycoon take on last-start winner Zabmanzor, Just As Sharp, Pendragon and December as well as high-class fillies Quintessa, Impendabelle and Luberon.

Even three of those fillies taking on the boys at 1400m has left plenty of female depth for the $225,000 Hallmark Stud Eigth Carat Classic in which last-start 1000 Guineas winner Molly Bloom meets Tulsi, Glamour Tycoon, Mary Shan and the impressive Orchestral.

The Group 2 sees two huge new rider assignments with world class jockey Blake Shinn coming to New Zealand to partner Molly Bloom, who he will also ride in the Karaka Millions, while Opie Bosson gets his first ride on Orchestral.

Shinn will be a welcome addition to both Boxing Day and Karaka Millions night, especially as Premiership leader Warren Kennedy misses Boxing Day through suspension.

** Superstar mare Legarto starts what could be a massive summer campaign in the north with a trial before the races at Matamata on Friday.

Legarto will trial against Railway favourite Babylon Berlin in a 1000m catchweight over 1000m to prepare for her return to racing at Ellerslie’s twilight comeback meeting on January 14.

All going well, she will contest the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic on Karaka Millions night, then the $600,000 Herbie Dyke at Te Rapa on February 10 and the $450,000 Bonecrusher NZ Stakes at Ellerslie on March 9.

By racing in the Aotearoa Classic she enters contention for the $500,000 bonus for the leading points scorer over four of the summer majors, two of the others being the Herbie Dyke and NZ Stakes.

Put simply, if there was a market on who is most likely to win that bonus, Legarto would be a warm favourite.

Boxing Day Magic

What: One of New Zealand’s biggest race meetings.

Where: Pukekohe Park.

When: Tuesday 26, first race 12.40pm

Highlights: $450,000 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic, $225,000 Hallmark Stud Eigfht Carat Classic, $225,000 Shaws Wire Ropes Auckland Guineas, $125,000 Dunstan Stayers Final, $110,000 Stella Artois Final.