Racing: Favourite eyes Liston double

Classy sprinter Regal Roller appears certain to start the punters' elect in today's J J Liston Stakes at Caulfield, but has to overcome the poor recent record of favourites to win the group-two weight-for-age feature.

Only one favourite has won the 1400m race in the past 15 years - Mahogany, who started at 8-13 in 1994 when the event was run at Sandown.

Regal Roller was sent out at 5-1 when he won last year's Liston from Amtrak and today's rivals, Le Zagaletta and Super Elegant who started 3-1 favourite.

But this year Regal Roller dominates the betting as 11-8 favourite in SuperTAB fixed-odds markets ahead of Super Elegant at 4-1, Hollow Bullet (15-2), Lad Of The Manor (9-1) with Our Smoking Joe next best at 10-1.

Trainer Clinton McDonald has declared this year's Liston field to be a little bit stronger than last year.

"I believe you can't be too confident going into these races. You've got to make sure your horse is 110 per cent and make sure you've done your job and leave it up to the horse," McDonald said.

But there is very little confidence from rival trainers that their representatives can topple the favourite, including Tony Vasil who will saddle up 2003 Liston winner Super Elegant.

"In all honesty it's hard to see it happening. Super Elegant is as honest as they come, he's a real little fighter, but Regal Roller is a very, very good horse," Vasil said.

"But you never know what can happen in racing, sometimes they can have no luck in the run.

"He [Super Elegant] is fit and well, he's come through his last run very well, he's won it before. But he'll have to be right on his game to win."

Regal Roller will be attempting to become only the second horse to win back-to-back Listons after Tauto in 1971-72.

Regal Roller will also be attempting to repeat the feat of Super Elegant who completed the Bletchingly Stakes-Liston double.

The Regal Classic six-year-old narrowly defeated Super Elegant when he won the Bletchingly (1200m) first-up from a spell on his home track at Caulfield on August 6.

Trainer Lee Freedman has five runners engaged in the Liston, including 2001 winner Le Zagaletta who was beaten a nose by Sports in 2002 and finished third in the event last year.

"Le Zagaletta and Our Smoking Joe are very good wet-trackers, particularly Our Smoking Joe," Freedman said.

Mummify, Modem and Stella Grande make up Freedman's five.

The track was rated slow yesterday but further rain was forecast.

- NZPA