Racing: Jockey to decide between top babies

Don Sellwood says he will be bitterly disappointed if Noel Harris does not ride his filly Pulcinella in the $120,000 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes.

After Harris won the $45,000 Ford 2YO Classic at New Plymouth on Saturday aboard Kindacross, he said he had a tough decision between Pulcinella and Kindacross for the Sires.

"As far as I'm concerned Noel is engaged for my filly," said Sellwood yesterday.

"Noel's known our plans all the way through."

Harris could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

Kindacross' trainer Mark Walker was not at New Plymouth on Saturday.

He said he had not had a chance to discuss the matter with Harris and did not know what the Matamata jockey's plans were.

Noel Harris won the $27,500 Crombie Lockwood 2YO on Pulcinella at Ellerslie a week ago.

Sellwood says the impressive filly has been 'bouncing' since the victory and is right on target for the group one Sires on Saturday week.

Kindacross is a definite for the Sires after his stunning 3 3/4- length victory on Saturday.

The race had been promoted as a match race between Mi Jubilee and local juvenile Wahid, but Kindacross easily beat Wahid, who looked to be struggling with the track conditions.

Mi Jubilee dropped out and pulled up sore.

Despite the pre-race look of the field, Mark Walker says he was always confident Kindacross was a strong wining chance.

"He galloped up so well here at Matamata on Tuesday morning. Even clocker Dennis Ryan was greatly impressed.

"I know the other two had beaten him a couple of times, but he had had killer draws at his previous three starts and this time he was a lot better off."

Kindacross has a reputation as a natural speedster who might struggle when the babies step up to 1400m for the first time on Saturday week, but Walker doesn't see him in that light.

"He's got plenty of speed, but he's also bred to get over more ground. He's out of a Star Way mare and there is heaps of middle distance form in his pedigree."

The prospect of an 'off' track won't worry Kindacross, who revelled in the footing on Saturday that was officially rated as easy, but raced considerably worse.

It certainly brought Wahid undone.

"He was doing half pace to the home turn and as soon as Michael [Coleman, jockey] let his head go he floundered and couldn't pull his feet out of the ground," said trainer Allan Sharrock.

"He's raced Kindacross on firm tracks a few times and the other horse has never looked like beating us. Good luck to him this time, but the track did him more favours than it did the others. He loved that ground."

Sharrock said there was no way the footing on Saturday was only easy. "It was way off and Wahid just can't pick himself up and ping off that type of surface."

Sharrock fears another 'off' track for the Sires Produce.

"We are heading into autumn and if it [the track] looked like being as bad as it was on Saturday, or worse, I'd have doubts about him running."

Matamata filly Realign worried pacemaking Mi Jubilee to the home corner before the hot favourite started to drop away.

Realign held on to take third, 2 1/2 lengths behind Wahid.

Cambridge mare Hasta La Ciao Ciao came out in the following race and once again strongly suggested she was heading for big things by winning untested.

Sires Produce

* Noel Harris has the choice of two leading hopes for the group one classic at Awapuni, Pulcinella and Kindacross.

* Harris rode Kindacross to a stylish victory in the 2YO Classic at New Plymouth on Saturday.

* Pulcinella's trainer Don Sellwood says he believes Harris is engaged for his filly.