By MIKE DILLON
Neil Coulbeck likes to think he knows when he's beaten.
The South Island trainer has convinced himself he's running for second money behind Sunline in tomorrow's $100,000 Waikato Draught Sprint at Te Rapa.
"Unless we catch her on a bad day, she'll win - she's a Machine," said Coulbeck last night.
Coukbeck had some confidence his McDonogh Stakes winner Fritz could go close in tomorrow's group one race - until he knew Sunline was running.
"He's done fabulously well. He's ready for a big race.
"It was a big effort to in at Ellerslie under a big weight (58kg) in ground that didn't suit him and racing on an unsuitable right-handed track."
Fritz has yet to race as far as tomorrow's 1400m, but Coulbeck is not even slightly worried about it.
"It's simply because there is not a decent 1400m race in the South Island.
"He runs on strongly in his races and the 1400m will be ideal. There probably is not much choice but to ride him back in this race and when he's ridden like that he really gets home strongly."
Coulbeck is hoping for a fast track.
So is Matamata trainer Roger James, who produces class mares One Under and Spring Rain into the race.
"Both have done really well since Trentham and all we hope for is good footing."
James is pleased with the progress of One Under after the mare was badly knocked about in the Anniversary Handicap on the first day of the Wellington meeting.
"She got severely hammered into the running rail," said James.
"It was so bad that when she pulled out of that spot the horse who had been outside her also got hammered into the rail. The jockey was fined $1000 and suspended for two riding days."
Spring Rain has the speed to take advantage of her No 1 barrier and with 51.5kg poses something of a threat if she leads and is capable of establishing a break on the home bend.
Stayers Showella and Kaapstad Way resume from spells tomorrow and both race well fresh.
But against Sunline that may not be a fator. Both are back runners. Sunline will either lead or be outside the leaders. From there she is capable of breaking 33 seconds for her last 600m, making the task of anything giving her six or more lengths start an impossibility.
"Because of a leg problem before she spelled, Showella is not as fit as I'd like her to be tackling Sunline," said co-trainer Frank Ritchie. "She's got an impossible task really."
Racing: Fritz running for second
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