Racing: Castle Heights may dent high hopes for Kovak

Taranaki trainer Bryce Revell is confident his stayer Kovak has the locals covered at Eagle Farm tomorrow, but the biggest danger might be his travelling companion.

Three weeks after his filly Ekstreme was a costly failure with a rocky run in the Queensland Oaks, Revell was prompted to return to Brisbane with Kovak after a big win at Awapuni last Saturday.

He will back up in the group three A$200,000 Tattersall's Cup (2200m), with top local rider Brad Pengelly booked for the mount.

Also entered is Castle Heights (trained by the Logans/Gibbs partnership in Northland), who shared the transtasman flight with Kovak this week.

"I don't know a lot about him [Castle Heights], but he's a nice horse with an explosive finish," Revell said.

"Our horse races on the speed and is a bit of a grinding stayer, while the other one [Castle Heights] is pretty dangerous. He won a few in a row and they think he's pretty good."

Donna Logan hoped to bring Castle Heights and promising 2-year-old Bally Duff to Brisbane a fortnight ago but flight cancellations ruined her plans.

Castle Heights, with five wins from 11 starts, arrived after a solitary first-up run for fifth over 1400m at Te Rapa on June 6.

Top local apprentice Brent Evans, fresh from victory aboard Mitanni in the listed Eye Liner Stakes, was booked for the ride.

Kovak, meanwhile, bolted in by 10 lengths over 1600m last Saturday, his sixth win from 27 starts and his first on a heavy track.

Revell hoped the Eagle Farm track, rated a good three yesterday, would not deteriorate too much further with rain forecast in Brisbane. "He won on Kelt Day [at Hastings] last year and he's always looked pretty good," Revell said.

"But he's only a rating 90 horse so there's a bit to prove yet. We could have raced for $60,000 at home against the best winter stayers or come over here and raced on a better track for A$200,000.

"We think he's at his peak and he'll run well."

Meanwhile in Melbourne, Otaki trainer Rachael Frost lines up her jumper Spirit Of Alaton against 11 rivals in the A$70,000 Dominant St Steven Steeplechase (3200m) at Moonee Valley tomorrow.

Leading Victorian jumps hoop Brett Scott will ride Spirit Of Alaton.

Frost crossed the Tasman hoping to avoid the bog tracks in New Zealand, but Moonee Valley was rated a heavy eight yesterday.

- NZPA