Racing: Despite her defeat Taranaki filly is still a top Oaks chance

Allan Sharrock. Photo / Supplied

The pencil-line defeat of hot favourite Shez Sinsational at New Plymouth did nothing to diminish the filly's chance in next month's Queensland Oaks.

If anything, she should shorten in odds.

Punters might have got a hiding at the $1.70 odds when Shez Sinsational was outbobbed by The Raconteur, but they should double up on the filly in the Queensland classic.

The Raconteur is a tough 6-year-old gelding and a veteran of 37 starts with a record of winning in slow and heavy conditions.

Shez Sinsational went into Saturday's race on a heavy 10 with just seven races behind her and a dislike of rain-affected footing.

And with her grand final still three weeks away, trainer Allan Sharrock could not afford to have her tuned right to peak for this run.

Opie Bosson even had to press forward on her earlier than he would have preferred, which also impacted on the filly's fitness level.

In balance, it was like a win by three lengths.

Sharrock was delighted with the performance. "I would have liked to have seen a better track and she had a good blow after the race."

The Taranaki trainer does not feel the race was too tough on Shez Sinsational.

"She didn't have to travel to race. Half an hour after she cooled off she was in a paddock at home with grass up to her knees.

"I expect when I pick her up from the paddock she'll be leaping about the place."

Shez Sinsational will be flown to Brisbane on Wednesday.

"That gives me two weeks to work her constantly right-handed. She hasn't been right-handed yet, but she's a very tractable filly and I don't expect that to be an issue. She's also a very good traveller."

Bosson will ride her in Queensland.

That was a lovely trial for this Saturday's $45,000 James Bull Rangitikei Gold Cup by Spare A Fortune.

Trainer Gary Hennessy said before the Rotorua race it was a lead-up to next weekend, which you assume to mean there was still slight improvement in the horse

It looked that way. Spare A Fortune and eventual winner Hurricane Mickey were locked in mortal battle for almost the entire home straight before Hurricane Mickey's slightly superior fitness kicked in.

Hennessy said that after this coming weekend, provided the effort pleased him, he would look to an Australian campaign, either in Brisbane or Melbourne,

Which means he will be travelling because Spare A Fortune doesn't know what throwing in a bad effort means.

Trainer Murray Baker says he loves Hurricane Mickey.

Why wouldn't you? He's now had 13 starts in the heavy for seven wins and five placings.

If you are going to score your first win as a jockey after 70-something rides you might as well make it by 12 lengths.

Thamil Arumugam couldn't see a horse when he looked around halfway down the home straight on The Muffin Man at Rotorua, despite thinking "one was right there [behind]".

The Malaysian, who is apprenticed to Wayne Hillis at Matamata, picked the right day - the track was so sticky and jockeys holding apprentice allowances won half the card.

Arumugam came so close to getting a better kick start to his career in his first ride last year. On his boss's horse, Cashmere Mafia, he was in front approaching the home bend and had a rush of blood to the brain.

He kicked the horse five and six lengths clear and was caught right in the last stride.

There was no catching the 21-year-old on Saturday.It was well away from the Black Caviar hype at Doomben, but Ruakaka trainer Kenny Rae was happy enough to get a win at the Gold Coast on Saturday with under-rated 3-year-old Upsala.

The race, the Thirsty Camel, doesn't have quite the same ring to it as the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup, but Rae was delighted to pick up the trip's expenses.

At $2.60, someone was confident of victory.