Racing: High-class filly red hot

Anabandana (left) destroyed her rivals in the Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie last start. Photo / Dean Purcell

If you search deep enough you can almost always come up with a negative around the chances of a racehorse.

It's extremely difficult to find the negative associated with Anabandana in tomorrow's $200,000 Oaks Stud Stallions Manawatu Sires Produce at Awapuni.

The New Zealand TAB certainly couldn't find one. At $1.90 they've got the filly red hot in betting.

If you like anything else in the race and it wins, Christmas will come early.

Shuka is second favourite at $10, followed by Savabill on $11 and Fort Lincoln, Chateauneuf Dupape and Distill at $14.

Don Sellwood is one of racing's careful, most conservative trainers, almost to the point of embracing Colin Jillings' old trick of walking in front of his horses and kicking stones out of their path to avoid stone bruises as they walk to the training track.

So when Sellwood tells you Anabandana's training this week has gone "beautifully" you know all's well in the camp.

"Her gallop on Tuesday morning was fabulous," he says.

If the high-class filly arrives in even close to the condition that saw her completely destroy the opposition in the Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie last start then $1.90 could even be a touch of overs.

It's not a negative, but if you wanted to find one potential for danger it's the No 2 barrier draw, that could see rival jockeys aiming to box the filly in on the rail. But then you've got the best jockey in the race, Opie Bosson, to help avoid that.

This race has often been a nightmare for favourites, but it appears only bad luck could stop Anabandana.

There is plenty of competition for the minor placings. Savabill copped a horrible passage in the home straight behind the filly at Ellerslie and southerner Shuka wasn't much better off.

Both can finish their races off and both are going to enjoy their first step up to 1400m.

$200,000 SIRES

* Anabandana has been so dominant it's difficult to envisage her defeat.

* Bad luck appears to be her main danger.

* Savabill and Shuka are going to appreciate the step up to 1400m.