Racing: A bit rusty but the Potential is surely still there

Miss Potential has won two of her five starts when in a fresh state.

But the high-class mare can't be any fresher for tomorrow's $40,000 Platinumhomesnz Rotorua 1400.

Miss Potential is fresh from retirement and the broodmare's paddock.

The million dollar winner failed to get into foal and owner and trainer Bill Borrie has chosen to continue racing her.

This will be her first start since Melbourne Cup week last November and she will certainly improve with it.

Rider Reese Jones recommends taking no notice of Miss Potential's unplaced effort at the Cambridge trials last week.

"She arrived fairly burly as you'd expect, but it was the track condition which really counted against her.

"She ran in one of the last trials on a huge programme and it was like having had the equivalent of 2 1/2 race days on the track by the time she got to go around.

"As much as she doesn't like wet tracks, she dislikes rough surfaces more and you could not have got it rougher than last week."

Jones has not been on Miss Potential's back since the barrier trial.

"She knocked up in the closing stages of the trial and she did blow up quite a bit across the back.

"Whether that's been enough to sufficiently tighten her up is the question."

Jones is more worried about the track conditions.

The Rotorua surface was 4.5 and slow yesterday with a few showers in the area.

"She hasn't raced on the Rotorua track so she obviously hasn't won there.

"Unless there is some drying in the next little while I'd say come this time Sunday she still won't have."

It will be a great shame if Miss Potential does not run.

Borrie could not be contacted yesterday.

It is understood there is a possibility Miss Potential could target a race or two during the Queensland winter carnival.

At set weights against her own sex, Miss Potential is remarkably well placed for the winner of $1.28 million.

At 56kg she is on the same weight as Raadisi and Sent To Sea, who have respective earnings of $23,580 and $28,300.

Crepe De Chine did not look happy in the heavy conditions at Te Rapa last start, but neither did many of the runners on the day.

She is a winner on a rain-affected track at Rotorua and should be given another chance here.

Her stablemate Bashful won that Te Rapa race and it was no fluke. She is as genuine and game as they come and rates highly again.

Santoya and Caballos are the value runners.

Santoya can throw in a big race in good company. She faded to seventh behind Sir Slick at Awapuni last start, but before that she was only 5.5 lengths behind Arlingtonboulevard at group one level at Te Aroha.

The heavier the track the better the chances of Caballos. She resumed from a break behind Cog Hill at Te Rapa last week and should be fitter for the run.