Racing: Blinkers tip with El Perez return

The big money attracts classy fields to Ellerslie today.

Among them is El Perez (No8, R8). The brother to star El Duce is making his first racetrack appearance since a successful Melbourne winter campaign, during which Damien Oliver won on him at Flemington.

Trainers Donna and Dean Logan and Chris Gibbs have applied the blinkers to El Perez today, suggesting they are serious about winding him up for the 1400m.

This is a good field and most of the runners have been racing regularly and are therefore fitter, but El Perez has previously won in a fresh state.

With his apprentice allowance, classy Dont Ya Lovett (No2) is the natural danger, although on a firmer surface than he's been racing on (if it doesn't rain) he would not want to get too far off the pace in the middle stages. El Perez's stablemate Focal Point is a real chance and Dezigna (No7) might throw in a big race at good odds.

Another great race with a $40,000 stake is the R92 Race 3. Superalloy (No4) will have pulled a lot of improvement from his first-up effort at Taupo recently. He shows a touch of class at times and this race looks to have been set up beautifully for him.

Spare The Detail (No6) was magnificent in the fight she put up against Dead Common on this track last start. This surface and the inside barrier should help her find the trifecta again. Waikeepadacash (No9), fresh from a break, is the value runner.

Ngahiiti (No10, R2) has been eight times placed in 15 starts and could be at good each-way odds. The key to her is that she has been carrying her full book weight lately and this time Craig Grylls pulls 3kg off her back.

Just Not Cricket (No3, R5) remains the top pick in the $100,000 Lindauer Great Northern Hurdles. It is a great line-up and should be a very competitive contest. Probably not the sort of race you need to be worrying about maintaining an unbeaten jumping record in, but Just Not Cricket will give a great shake.

Yourtheman (No4) will appreciate the extreme distance and the fact Our Front Line (No8) is coming off a steeplechase will not do his chances of getting the trip any harm. A wonderful race.

With the scratching of Ex Ex Al, the open handicap bristles with the winter handicappers we've been watching for months, some of whom must be getting a bit weary.

Art Link (No3) is interesting. He wore a cross-over nose band at Hastings last week, but still managed to throw his head high for Noel Harris practically the entire journey.

Given that, he did remarkably well to come from last to be only two lengths from Cedar Manor on a day when it was difficult to come from off the speed. This track will be his ideal ground if the rain stays away, but it's difficult to know if he'll settle. He's worth the risk if he's around $5.

The get-out stakes, Race 10, is a fine betting race. Two Hastings scratchings from last week, Sculptor (No6) and Twinkling (No13), get a bit of attention.

Sculptor is a high class animal and even though he appeared to have a tough Brisbane winter campaign, he is tough enough to bounce back. Don't forget he won the Guineas on this track in the spring. Twinkling is fitter for her first-up Te Rapa third to Texas and showed last summer she is not far off the best when conditions suit. This track should be good for her.

The field is so open there is literally not one runner that is out of contention for a trifecta spot.