Racing: It won't surprise if quinella is the same

What's the chance of the same quinella in a winter handicap two year's running? Photo / Supplied

What's the chance of the same quinella in a winter handicap two year's running? Maybe the TAB might like to run book on that.

A year ago Pacorus won the Kiwifruit Cup at Tauranga with Doiknowyou chasing him home 3 lengths behind.

Don't be at all surprised if that is the same two first past the post in the 2018 running of the $40,000 Orora Kiwifruit Packaging Cup at Tauranga tomorrow.

On paper, Pacorus looks to have a tough job under 60kg topweight, but that may not be quite the case. He won in a canter last year under 58kg and goes up 2kg. Doiknowyou carried 53kg into second and goes up 4.5kg to 57.5kg. That does not suggest a turnaround result.

Pacorus has had just two runs this preparation. He turned in a blinder to finish third over 1400m at Te Rapa in May then was probably never going to be sharp enough second-up in an identical race at his last start. He did not feature and rider Troy Harris, when asked to explain the performance, told stewards the horse had never handled the slow conditions.

He is at his best when it's heavy and that's what he will strike tomorrow. Even with 60kg he looks a sound proposition.

Doiknowyou did a good job beating Admiral at Wanganui last start and although he paid the price with additional weight this time, he is a real danger again with Lisa Allpress aboard.

If there is an upset to that same quinella, local runner Adriatic Pearl could create it. It may not pay dividends to rate her chances here on her last two starts.

One was in the Rotorua Cup, a track that tripped many horses up on the day and the other was not as bad as it seemed. The real pointer came three back when she finished powerfully into fifth, 1.9 lengths from the winner, in the group two Travis Stakes.

Joe Cargo and Ronrico are dangers.

The racing graveyard is full of those who counted their chickens too early, but Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman must have a huge level of confidence with three of the in-form runners in the seven-horse field for the $50,000 Woburn Farm Tauranga Classic tomorrow.

Tomelilla, New York Minute and Deals In Heels provide he champion trainers with golden opportunity to take the stakes race.