Racing: Ellerslie winnersm muddy picture for 1000 Guineas

We were hoping Ellerslie on Saturday would provide a guide to the 2000 and 1000 Guineas at Riccarton.

The verdict: Not only is the jury still out, it's not likely to be heard from.

Two very confusing races, the $50,000 Bonecrusher Stakes and the Soliloquy Stakes threw very little light on what is the usual progression of form at this early part of the spring campaign.

Three-year-old filly Bonaichi winning the Bonecrusher Stakes simply threw doubt on the ratings of the previously unbeaten Magic Cape and Keepem and Imananabaa's victory in the Soliloquy, impressive as it was, did not offer conclusive proof that there was still a serious threat to the potential top filly Naturo for the 1000 Guineas.

Naturo was yesterday quoted as $2 favourite with the TAB for the 1000 Guineas and that is starting to look like a reasonably generous bet.

Her Highview win at Hastings fresh from a spell was truly magnificent and even after Saturday, nothing has yet to threaten her superiority.

Imananabaa has been tough to train and Jim Gibbs, as he has done so many times, has managed to mould a difficult piece of clay into a racehorse.

When stable rider Cameron Lammas chose to ride talented maiden filly Velvet And Satin, Reese Jones lobbed into the mount midweek and the trackwork session between the pair was not without its dramas.

Nor was the win, despite the nearly two length advantage.

"She had the perfect run, but when she got into the clear in the home straight she started to duck both ways," said Jones, who was delighted to be reunited with a top horse.

Imananabaa zig-zagged the final 220m, but had far too much talent to lose it from there.

"She's settled down a lot," said Gibbs of the filly that had provided him with some headaches.

Jones finished off his apprenticeship with Jim Gibbs and the Matamata trainer was delighted to provide his former apprentice with a stakes mount at a time when rides had thinned.

Lammas elected to ride Velvet And Satin. Gibbs had hoped to spread the pair of fillies by running one in the Bonecrusher Stakes.

"But the connections both wanted to run in the fillies' race.

"I thought I could win both races with them, but neither owners were keen to run in the Bonecrusher."

Velvet And Satin was slow away and typical of what is expected of her, she ran on strongly to finish second.

"She is very much a stayer and will start to shine as the distances get longer," said Gibbs of Velvet And Satin.

The surprise of the Soliloquy Stakes was the weight of money that got in behind Taranaki first starter Whodat Cugat, who started $3.90 favourite in a widely competitive field.

Ellerslie is not an easy track for a horse to make its first raceday appearance on and, additionally, despite her three trials wins, Whodat Cugat would not have experienced a tempo like she struck on Saturday.

She got back, improved strongly around the field and stuck at her task exceptionally well and will not be long out of maidens.

The expected head-to-head clash between Magic Cape and Keepem in the Bonecrusher Stakesd turned into a fizzer, but to be fair neither lost the caste they have created.

Magic Cape jumped out better than he has so far, sat mid-field on the rails then just battled.

He finished third, but it did not have any authority until you saw the race time, and particularly the sectional times.

They ran the Bonecrusher nearly three seconds slower than the fillies ran in the Soliloquy, greatly disadvantaging horses such as Magic Cape and Keepem.

Magic Cape could not sprint in the final stages and neither could Keepem, who had pulled very hard in mid-field after missing the start.

Bonaichi took advantage, sitting behind the speed, and dashing along the inside just as the slower, more stamina types were looking to build their finishing efforts.