Racing: Good footing for Ellerslie

Durham Town has drawn wide in the Railway Stakes at Ellerslie tomorrow. Photo / Richard Robinson

Predicted rain should have little effect on the Railway Stakes but barrier draws could.

Panic not about Ellerslie track conditions for Thursday or the barrier draws for the $200,000 Railway - neither will be as ugly as some had thought.

The rain that is due to come through Auckland this afternoon and evening will have the effect of manipulating the Ellerslie surface to being as magnificent as it was on Boxing Day, says Auckland Racing Club racing manager Andrew Castles.

"From the weather maps I've been looking at, the weather is going to come through a little earlier than they had originally predicted and, from what I can see, we should get between 5mm-10mm of rain."

The rain band looks as though it will clear from Auckland about daybreak, with clear fine weather following.

"We don't start racing until 1.15pm and, if the forecasts are accurate about the timing of the rain, we should be fine," said Castles.

The ARC irrigated on Monday night. "If we hadn't, the track would have been ridiculously hard. The track was a dead (4) yesterday morning and a good (3) in the afternoon.

"If we get the amount of rain they say we'll get, the track should start out a dead (4) and be close to a good (3) by the time of the first race." Which is great news - last year's January 1 meeting was raced on a dead (6) rating.

The barrier draws looked horrific for the $200,000 Sistems Railway when they were released yesterday.

Last year's winner, Bounding, drew out in No 13, Ryan Mark is worse off in No 18 and Durham Town outside him in No 19.

But, if the emergencies are the only scratchings, Bounding will come out of gate No 9, Ryan Mark from No 13 and Durham Town No 14 - not ideal, but not life-threatening. Interestingly, last year's Railway winner, Bounding, came out of gate No 1 on a day when the way the rain-affected track was playing made that the worst place to be.

Mark Du Plessis dragged Bounding out wide to the centre of the track, raced narrowly in front three wide and won comfortably, and brilliantly, given the passage.

The majority of Bounding's subsequent racing has been in Australia. At the recent Melbourne Cup Carnival she finished second to the talented Vain Queen in the Mumm Stakes at Flemington and, before that, was runner-up to Chuatauqua in the Gilgai Stakes. Almost without exception the fields for tomorrow are fabulous betting races, each sprinkled with talented chances.

The Dunstan Feeds Final is an example: Rasa Viva, Rock Diva and Cursive are pitched head-to-head, with James McDonald to ride Rasa Viva. Unbeaten Windborne, Rocanto and Maratimo match up in the Eclipse Stakes, which should be a great race. There was a huge amount to like about Windborne's two wins.

Volstok'n'barrell will be a short-priced favourite in the Great Northern Guineas. He is New Zealand's rising superstar and will be greatly improved in fitness from his Ellerslie win last start.

Palace Rock, Stolen Dance (James McDonald), Vavasour, Charmont and Orange Peel front up in the Royal Stakes and, in yet another super-competitive event, Diamedes, Sakhee's Soldier, Atacama and Custom will do battle in the Rich Hill Mile.