KEY POINTS:
Wide barriers need to be overcome for the favoured runners to feature in tomorrow's $60,000 Platinumhomes.co.nz Rotorua Stakes.
Favourite Polish Princess drew gate number 17, Brianna 21 and Ascot Isle 16, although with six ballots the end result should not be anywhere near as disastrous as that.
If the emergencies are the scratchings those numbers drop back to a much more manageable 11, 15 and 10.
Regardless of barrier draw, Polish Princess deserves to be top pick.
Her third to Floydeboy in the group one $200,000 Champions Mile at Ellerslie last start was underpinned by sheer guts. She attacked the lead early in the run home and did not flinch in the run to the finish.
There are some smart fillies and mares in this field, but it is a considerable drop back in class.
Regardless of whether showers eventuate there will be give in the Rotorua surface to suit Polish Princess and she should not be inconvenienced by a significant amount of moisture.
Brianna found the 1200m Jazzella race too sharp at Te Rapa last start, but was still making ground on the leaders late.
She steps up to 1400m here and although she would probably prefer a track that was close to good, she has a win in slow conditions on her scoreboard.
Ascot Isle has not raced since going amiss when winning here last June.
She is a very underrated mare whose course stats might be a telling point. She won a recent Te Aroha barrier trial nicely.
Abit Rusty seems to mix her form. She was a good winner in wet conditions at Trentham two starts back, but subsequently failed to find anything at Manawatu. She was placed at her only start on this track.
Kirra Sand is in good form and rain would suit Cape Princess.
* Latest odds: Rotorua Stks, $60,000, wfa f&m, 1400m (run at Arawa Park on Saturday): $5.50 Polish Princess; $6 Zamfir; $7 Ascot Isle; $9 Vegas Showgirl, Electrostatic; $10 Zerello; $13 Abit Rusty; $14 Kirra Sand; $17 Ballymore Lass; $18 Brianna, Mi Jubilee; $22 Who Says, Cape Princess, Sardonyx, Shinko Bay; $26 Eva Beaver; $31 Beau Casual, Belle Joie; $41 Quest For Kash, Anne Boleyn.
