Racing: Holmes confident

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Rider Patrick Holmes says he cannot wait to ride Annettes Joy over 1400m.

Fair enough, but the 1200m distance of the $20,000 Vodafone Warriors Women In League Fillies Classic at Avondale today may not be an issue for the talented Cambridge filly.

This race was postponed from Avondale's abandoned meeting on Monday last week and a similar - or close to it - volume of rain that caused that problem was forecast for last night and today. That will have the effect of making this race more like 1400m than 1200m.

At Rotorua last start Annettes Joy came from last after a slow start to finish second to Castamere. When that horse subsequently won stylishly at Te Rapa it made the Rotorua form look very good, particularly with Annettes Joy this time racing against her own sex.

"She can really finish off her efforts and conditions should suit her," said trainer Frank Ritchie.

With an eclectic mixture of experience and inexperience, this race is difficult to predict.

Any number of these debut runners have been impressive at barrier trial appearances.

Among them have been Show Lover, High Class, Risque, Le Petite Rouge and Promise To Pay.

Then you have the Baker/Forsman Rios filly Del Rios, who was favourite in her Manawatu debut before being run down late. She is bound to have found benefit from that.

Princess Athena is the only winner in the field, that success coming on this track on March 25.

Tough race, particularly if the track is extremely testing.

Opaki trainer Grant Nicholson's confidence is split between his two runners at New Plymouth tomorrow.

He is expecting another bold showing from Stormy Ray in the NZB Pearl Insurance Pearl Series Race, but his Energy City Ford Open contender Sou'east is another matter entirely.

"She can be absolutely mental and it's fair to say it's hard to follow her with confidence," Nicholson said.

Sou'east looked a handy stayer in the making when her form warranted a trip to Riccarton in 2012.

"She came out of the New Zealand Cup on three legs and she had a lot of other niggling issues, so we gave her a year off and let nature take its course," Nicholson said.

Juvenile Stormy Ray has displayed a more genuine nature with three placings from five appearances.

She will be on trial tomorrow for a start in the Castletown Stakes at Wanganui on May 30.

"If she goes well and runs in the first three that's where she'll go and she does get through a wet track well."Additional reporting, NZ Racing Desk