Racing: Miss Maren well rated by form analyst

Usually we don't get much of a heads-up on form comparisons with visiting Australian horses.

But there is a perfect guide to the chances of Melbourne mare Miss Maren in tomorrow's Kelt Capital Stakes.

His name is Sarrera.

Sarrera finishing a close second to Kelt favourite Daffodil in the Windsor Park Plate two weeks ago tells us where Miss Maren sits.

That's apart from what the trip from Melbourne to Hastings this week might have taken out of the Caulfield-trained mare.

Astute Melbourne-based form analyst Dean Lester says little separates Sarrera and Miss Maren.

"If the pair were both still domiciled in Melbourne and they faced off at 2000m at Caulfield or Flemington it would be a tough call between the pair," Lester told the Herald last night.

"But the difference will probably be the fact that Sarrera is going into the race from what is now his home patch and Miss Maren has had a tough trip travelling."

The last time they met the Matamata gelding finished a close equal second to talented Pompeii Prince in the A$500,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in autumn, with Miss Maren six lengths away close to the tail of the field.

"That's not a fair comparison to Miss Maren though because she'd come off a winning streak or four or five going into that race and had clearly come to the end of it," said Lester. "Whereas Sarrera was on his way up and travelled to Singapore after Randwick."

Hastings trainers say that the track will be bordering on slow and dead for tomorrow and could be slightly worse than that if predicted showers arrive today.

That will ideally suit Sarrera and will probably be no inconvenience to Miss Maren.

The New Zealand TAB last night had Sarrera at $5.50 and Miss Maren at $11.