Racing: Humid weather doing Cluden Creek no favours

John Boon would like to see this sticky humid weather disappear.

He knows that's the best chance he has of seeing his troubled stayer Cluden Creek win tomorrow's $80,000 L J Hooker Manawatu Cup.

By Boon's assessment Cluden Creek gets "about 90 per cent" of the normal oxygen intake since a respiratory operation.

Humid weather is known to hamper the breathing of such horses, but Boon is not completely downcast about the weather - it was very humid when Cluden Creek came back to winning form in last week's Awapuni lead-up.

For his troubles, Cluden Creek deserves another big win. After his 2004 Wellington Cup win he had a troublesome abscess cut out of his chest and niggling leg problems and the respiratory trouble have had John Boon under a lot of pressure in the last 18 months.

"I'm very happy with his condition. If he's ridden where he needs to be I'm sure he'll be hard to beat.

"I know he's up in class this time, but he's in with a chance."