Mike Dillon: Little chance of Hastings track improving from slow

Banchee will resume in the Gold Trail Stakes at Hastings on Saturday. Photo / Greg Bowker

Pnters hoping for the assistance of a decent track for Saturday's $750,000 Pick6 at Hastings are in for a disappointment.

The Hastings track was yesterday rated as slow (9), with little hope of improvement, judging by the weather forecasts.

Showers are predicted for Hastings this morning, late rain is forecast for tomorrow and late rain and high winds are on order for Friday.

The track rating was a slow (8) for Mudgway Stakes Day and the chances of getting back to even that level look slim.

The first two home in the Mudgway, Keep The Peace and Wall Street, managed the slow conditions, but there were a few left struggling behind them.

The pair very much look the two to beat again in Saturday's 1600m $200,000 Windsor Park Plate.

Late nominations for the group one event closed yesterday and Eric The Viking was added to the race.

*A rain-affected track will have a big bearing on the $70,000 Gold Trail Stakes at Hastings in which last season's Mercedes Champion 2-Year-Old Banchee clashes with fellow northern fillies Dating and Smoulder.

Banchee has not raced on anything but good footing, although she was a recent winner of a Te Teko barrier trial on heavy ground.

*Doubtful we have seen a call as big as Gai Waterhouse made last Friday describing More Joyous as good as Sunline.

Whoa.

Whether she paid a price for that or not we'll never know, but the Sydney handicapper has given More Joyous 55.5kg in the Epsom Handicap at Randwick on October 2, when the stable was expected at least 1kg less.

That's put the pressure on the outstanding Sydney mare.

Sunline couldn't win the 1999 Epsom Handicap with 56.5kg in her last start before she blitzed them in the Cox Plate.

New Zealand mare Chantal holds the mares' weight-carrying record of 52.5kg and outsider La Neige in 1976 was the last mare to win the Epsom.

Regardless, More Joyous remains the Epsom favourite and there'll be no stopping Gai's comparisons if she gets over the line.

The unlucky one is jockey Corey Brown, who partnered More Joyous for the first time to win Saturday's A$200,000 Sebring Sprint, declaring her as good as anything he's ridden.

Brown pleaded with Waterhouse for the Epsom ride, but the 55.5kg is within range of stable jockey Nash Rawiller.

*Just as Yamanin Vital is being lauded as one of our great jumping sires of all time, he goes and leaves Herculian Prince, runaway winner of Saturday's A$125,000 Kingston Town Stakes at Rosehill.

The former New Zealand stayer is now favourite for the Metropolitan Handicap.