Racing: Missy if it's wet, Kurt if it's dry

Rain, or its absence, will decide tomorrow's $35,000 Great Northern Foal Stakes at Ellerslie.

If the predicted rain arrives, stick with last-start winner Missy Elliott. If it does not arrive, Captain Kurt will give her one hell of a race.

You won't be left with a choice if the weather turns nasty - Captain Kurt will be at home in his box at Matamata when the Foal Stakes is run.

Missy Elliott has what it takes to get the money if the going gets tough - she is one real gritty unit.

The grey filly was all but put on the track when she was squeezed out of a gap at the back of the field in the early stages of the New Zealand Bloodstock Stakes at Avondale on Anzac Day.

Few 2-year-olds would have figured after such a knock, but Missy Elliott picked herself up and ran on strongly into fourth.

It was the run of a next-up winner and Missy Elliott did not disappoint, scoring by a clear margin at Hastings.

The footing for that programme was soft. A number of riders on the day claimed that the conditions seriously upset their horse's chances, but Hayden Tinsley had no trouble on the Matamata-trained winner.

Trainer Craig Thornton says Missy Elliott will run tomorrow regardless of the conditions.

"She's a tough little thing and will probably cope with the conditions better than most if the track became testing."

Thornton said Missy Elliott worked well on a rain-affected track at Matamata on Tuesday morning. He said this would almost certainly be the filly's last race before a spell. "She's had quite a few hard races."

The Ellerslie course was 2.8 and easy yesterday and if it stays that way Captain Kurt will run.

"He'll manage an easy track okay," said co-trainer Vanessa Hillis, "but if it got worse than that we wouldn't run him.

"His action is too good to be able to cope with a very wet track."

Noel Harris has a very big opinion of Captain Kurt, a stylish winner at Te Rapa last start when he easily overcame a slow start.

Harris, back from Queensland, made a rare appearance at the Matamata trackwork session on Tuesday to ride Captain Kurt.

"Noel was very pleased with the way he felt," said Hillis.

"He said he is a treat to ride. When everyone ribbed him about coming to the track for a change, Noel said if every horse was like Captain Kurt to ride he'd be there every morning," which falls very close to the 'yeah, right' basket.

If Captain Kurt is withdrawn he will run instead in the Castletown Stakes at Foxton, one of the few opportunities left for 2-year-olds.

Captain Kurt and Missy Elliott stand out on what they have done so far, but there is some serious emerging talent among the remainder.

Simply Amazing looked good chasing Captain Kurt home at Te Rapa last start. He has yet to run on a rain-affected track, but his sire Testa Rossa was not shy with a bit of moisture around.

Ballymore Lass has not raced since displaying great promise in two starts last spring, but she showed she is close to fitness with a recent barrier trial win at Te Awamutu.

Foal Stakes

* Rain predicted for today will have a big bearing on the feature 2-year-old race.

* Last-start winner Missy Elliott will start regardless of how much rain falls today.

* Talented Captain Kurt will be withdrawn if the track is downgraded from its rating yesterday of easy.