There could well be an American flavour to the winner of the feature 1600m race at Ellerslie today.
The race is the group two $150,000 Highview Stud Trophy Handicap in which the likely favourite is the Roger James-trained One Under.
The Volksraad four-year-old mare is owned in the United States by John and Ann Kunkel from Phoenix, Arizona.
One Under will be having just her second start for the Kunkels since they bought her last year.
Her first start for her new owners was at Te Rapa on December 16 and One Under simply outclassed her opposition in her first race for more than eight months.
James yesterday described that win as "wildly impressive" and said he had no concern about the horse tackling today's race in just her second start of a new campaign.
One Under was the top two-year-old in 1998-99, winning both Sires' Produce Stakes races and has the overall record of six wins from 10 starts.
Another leading chance is Furnish.
The Lord Waverley six-year-old gelding was third to O'Malley's Boy in a group two 1200m race at Avondale on December 6 and second to Zonda in the group three $50,000 weight-for-age King's Plate (1600m) at Ellerslie on December 26.
The Paul O'Sullivan-trained Soap Opera also has the form to suggest she would be a deserving winner.
She was third to Zonda in the King's Plate at her last start and two starts back was third to Sunline in the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe for fillies and mares on November 25.
The topweight is the very well-performed Platonic, who has won seven races from 10 starts.
In today's other feature, the group one $150,000 weight-for-age The Oaks Stud Classic (2000m), victory should go to the highly exciting Zonda.
At his second start from a 2-3/4 year break from racing, the Zabeel six-year-old gelding scored a breathtaking victory in the King's Plate when scoring by more than two lengths after being in the rear at the home turn.
"He's come through it in great order and he'll go into tomorrow's race in the same order," said James, who also trains Zonda.
James could well provide the quinella in The Oaks Stud Classic. His other representative is Cronus, sixth to Zonda in the King's Plate.
- NZPA
Racing: Impressive One Under to do her US owners proud
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