Racing: Irish Colleen for starters and Cent Per Cent look good at Ellerslie

Photo / Dean Purcell

Graeme Rogerson likes to get on with things.

With his 2000th New Zealand winner safely behind him midweek Rogerson said yesterday that he was keen to climb the 3000-win mountain.

Cent Per Cent in Race 4 at Ellerslie today could give Rogerson and training partner wife Debbie their first footstep in that direction.

The pair have a couple of runners in earlier races, but if he lives up to his best form Cent Per Cent looks a fine chance against the open class metric milers. True, he was disappointing when heavily backed when resuming at Tauranga two weeks ago, but that was a rare blunder for a horse that had previously won four of his seven starts in rain-affected footing. He's well worth the risk that the Tauranga run was simply out of character.

Irish Colleen (No2, R1) is perhaps a bit better at 1400m than today's 1200m, but this race, even though with first use of the ground, should be testing enough to suit her. Her weight-for-age Rotorua win last start, against a bit better field than this, showed she is probably in the best form of her career.

For a mare of her class she comes into this race nicely just half a kilo over the minimum with Maija Vance in the saddle.

John Gray (No3, R2) is more than a bit underrated. He was disappointing when only fourth at Tauranga last start when you thought the conditions would have suited, but gets a chance to atone for that today.

Former jockey Earl Harrison can put down his fence-spraying guns long enough to just about win Race 3 today with Appleton's Lass (No1). The mare looked on the verge of a win with her close third at Te Rapa last week in a R90 event and jumps back to R80 class for this. She's won in the heavy so the testing conditions will be no trouble to her. If you could guarantee Magic Power (No2) would handle the conditions he'd be clear first pick. Apart from one placing in the heavy stuff all his form has been on good ground. Race 5, the maiden is a magnificent betting race, and a difficult one. There is form everywhere and if you get the trifecta right you should get a hatful. Montosi (No12) ran home nicely over 1200m when resuming at New Plymouth last start and gets to 1400m here which should suit. The New Plymouth track was heavy so she should manage any conditions today. I'm For Sale (No2) is another strong chance, but there are plenty of them.

The conditions don't make the Foal Stakes, Race 6, very easy, but you have two class acts in We Can Say It Now (No11) and Smoulder (No9). It is a battle between sheer untapped talent (We Can Say It Now) and tractability and determination. If We Can Say It Now races like she did when she won on debut at Matamata - slow away and forced to race wide - she probably can't beat Smoulder. But she is likely to have learned from that race. Smoulder finds the finish very strongly so will be suited to the jump to 1400m and it'll be up to We Can Say It Now to get over the top of her with sheer ability. Fascinating race. Denmark (No4) is a trifecta must on the way he chased hard after impressive winner Gamble at Te Rapa last start.

Cannymac (No1, R7) has yet to race beyond 1600m, but the way he won at 1600m at Avondale last start suggests he needs to. He's clearly better than most of his opposition today, but a 3-year-old with 58kg, in what will be a very testing race, in his first middle distance start is a big ask, so don't take very short odds if that's what comes up on the tote. He's a must for all multiple bets though. The saddle slipped last start on Colombian Beauty (No5) and before that she was just 4.1 lengths off Time Keeper and The Hombre at Te Rapa. That's good form for this race.

Saint Pat (No3, R9) has had only three starts and has looked good in each of them. With luck his record would be even better than one from three. He doesn't seem to mind wet ground so he's the obvious here.

Solzhenitsyn (No4, R10) has not run in wet ground, but he's by St Petersburg from a Victory Dance mare, so the chances are he'll handle it. He has a lot of ability as he showed in winning first up at Avondale and if he manages the ground he should go close to repeating.

Haere Mai (No7) showed talent against the best 3-year-olds mid-season and is still on the way up after just one start following a break.

* The Hombre landed some big bets when he won on Australian debut in Queensland and it's a little surprising you can still get $5 in Australia and New Zealand about his chances in the A$150,000 Grand Prix at Doomben this afternoon. John Bary is delighted with him and even though the opposition this time is stronger, he's the key to the race.