Karaka Million winner Avantage will be vying for Horse of the Year on Sunday. Photo / Trish Dunell
Karaka Million winner Avantage will be vying for Horse of the Year on Sunday. Photo / Trish Dunell
Ellerslie's track has passed a crucial test after its resurfacing without a horse even setting a hoof near it.
The home of Auckland racing has been sorely missed over the winter, with its closure to be felt most acutely in coming weeks with the running of races like the Pakuranga Hunt Cup and Great Northern Steeples at Te Rapa.
While Ellerslie bosses are grateful for Te Rapa's assistance while their track has been closed for important drainage maintenance, a Great Northern without the Ellerslie hill is going to feel more than a tad strange.
Ellerslie closed down after the Cup meeting in March so new drains could be put in every 5m around the entire circuit and while the work went as planned the track still had tests to pass before it could return to racing, scheduled for October 27.
One of those was on Monday when stipendiary stewards Alan Coles and Matthew Williamson walked the track and declared it fit for racing.
"They said we could race on it now it has recovered from the work so well," said a delighted ARC boss Paul Wilcox.
"Of course we aren't going to, we are going to make sure we go through a process but to hear the stipes so happy with its condition this far out from our first meeting back was a relief.
"We are happy but we aren't surprised. We put a lot of planning into this and started straight after the Cup meeting and Jason [Fulford, track manager] and his team did a great job.
"Looking at it now you can't even tell where the new drains have gone in."
With two months until their comeback meeting - which will be the same day as Winx chases her fourth Cox Plate at Moonee Valley - Ellerslie will have at least two tests under hooves.
"We will invite some trainers up with a few horses and get them taken for a spin around the track in around three weeks, hopefully after some better weather.
The Ellerslie track has recovered well from the drainage work. Photo / Supplied
"And then we will have some jumpouts a few weeks later and try and use different areas of the track so we get to see them all under pressure from horses at speed.
"But we couldn't be happier and everything is on target for October 27."
Ellerslie's new stabling complex is also progressing well and is likely to be in use for the comeback meeting.
"We may not have some little things done, like landscaping and such, but the partitions are going in now."
• While Ellerslie hasn't seen any winners since March 10 that will change this Sunday night, with the annual NZ Horse of the Year awards to be held there.
The two horses who appear to be fighting out for the main award come Sunday are both back in action in the space of 24 hours, with Avantage trialling at Te Rapa yesterday while reigning Horse of the Year Bonneval headlines some big name triallists before racing starts at Taupo today.
Avantage wasn't asked for anything serious when third at the trials run on a very wet Te Rapa yesterday but trainer Jamie Richards was happy. "It was just a starting point for her and we will now work out whether she trials next on the 6th or the 11th of September and then plan where and when she goes to the races," says Richards.
The 1000 Guineas at Riccarton remains Avantage's first major aim for the season and with no horse winning two group ones in New Zealand last season her Karaka Million (listed)-Sires' Produce double makes her the domestic standout competition to Bonneval for the big title on Sunday.
Meanwhile, one-time favourite Julius was officially pulled out of next week's $200,000 Tarzino Trophy yesterday, as trainer John Bell had suggested. The TAB had already reacted to that expected news on Monday afternoon and the Tarzino market now sees Melody Belle the $3.80 favourite ahead of Hiflyer, Scott Base and Jon Snow at $6.
