KEY POINTS:
It's nice to be able to back a horse in a race it won last year.
Mr Benny Hill (No2, R5) goes around in the same R90 race at Riccarton this afternoon that he proved too good in 12 months ago.
He was handicapped last year on the same 58kg he was given this time, but apprentice Tommy Sasada last year brought that down to 55kg and this time can claim only 2kg, but that is only a minor issue.
Perhaps of greater significance could be that Mr Benny Hill has not raced for a month while recovering from a cold, but Dave and Sarah Haworth would not have travelled the horse from Foxton to Christchurch unless they believed him to be at peak.
Mr Benny Hill has not won a race since this one last year, but his eight races have resulted in four second placings, often in strong company. Back him here and follow him. If Benelli (No4) starts here in preference to Race 7 he could be a danger while fresh from a break.
Samurai (No4, R9), Final Reality (No3) and Lord Monty (No7) will give you great cover in the $125,000 Winter Cup. Samurai has yet to win a big race, but it was always going to be simply a matter of when. He's had his share of problems and Neil Connors has had to be patient, but the horse's first-up win at Hastings suggests this campaign could be the peak of his career. The long straight and Noel Harris' riding style suit this race perfectly.
Most will go back to when Final Reality pushed Sir Slick to half a length at Tauranga in March when summing up the southerner's chances. He is a quality animal and with 54.5kg looks poised for a big effort.
Lord Monty will win any toughness award going if he wins. Think about a float trip from Brisbane to Sydney, a flight to Auckland and a float trip to Levin. Follow that up with floating to Christchurch with a mid-winter Cook Strait crossing thrown in and you start to get tired yourself.
If Lord Monty can shake the effects of that off he is a top chance to win this. He likes the track, loves the mud and his Brisbane form was at times against better horses than most of these.
Drop-back horses always appeal. Jovial Jock (No1, R10) is coming back to a R90 race from last week's Taumarunui Cup, a drop that any horse would appreciate. Jovial Jock is a lot better than his eighth at Te Rapa last weekend. He won the corresponding race to this on the final day of this meeting at Riccarton last year and has overall been racing in better company than this in the north during his current preparation. He didn't get his favourite rain on the day last week and if there is any rain in Christchurch today he will come even more into favour.
The second day of a back-to-back Ruakaka meeting today is interesting.
We have some very smart established horses like Cog Hill, Who Knows and Aimee's Idol going around in the open sprint, Race 7, and a handful of quality emerging horses in the supporting races, including Sunline's daughter Sunstrike.
One of the fascinating clashes will be between local Align To Infinity (No5, R2) and Grand Dancer (No1) in the 3-year-old sprint. Align To Infinity is highly regarded and needed to be to finish third on debut in stakes class behind two more experienced types in Martini Red and Vanny Fair on this track three weeks ago.
He will have learned from that experience, but he still has a job on his hands to topple Grand Dancer, who raced with credit against the best juveniles in the stakes races last season. He beat them in the Eclipse Stakes then finished fourth to Crossyourheart in the $500,000 Classique at Te Rapa and was only 1.75 lengths from Alamosa in the group one Ellerslie Sires before being spelled.
With 58kg he has to give Align To Infinity 3kg, but has drawn inside the other horse. The race of the day at Ruakaka for this column.
Race 1, which includes Sunstrike (No14), is a watch-only event. The filly will be way under the odds, has drawn out a touch from the rail and with so many unknown types engaged there could be a smart speedster that could run the field off its feet. Look for something pretty good from Sunstrike, though.
Chris and Richard Otto have a great record at Ruakaka lately, including a nice win yesterday, and they could get another with first starter Dandaad (No4, R3). He has been patiently handled and won a barrier trial nicely on his home track at Te Awamutu last week. Watch the tote, but indications are he will prove hard to beat.
Like Jovial Jock at Riccarton, Bringbackthebiff (No3, R5) will love the drop back to a R90 event from the Taumarunui Cup.
He looked in magnificent shape last week and although well beaten he is likely to be much better suited to the footing at Ruakaka, where he is a previous winner. He looks a great each-way chance.
Cha Cha Char (No8, R6) did not get the best of runs on her home track last start and could be a bit of value today.
The same goes for Tunza Times (No7), who has been racing against fields a little stronger than this. The Iron Duke (No2) can be in it.
Race7, the sprint, looks difficult. Tough to know whether to take the chance on the 61.5kg Cog Hill (No1) has to lump without the benefit of an apprentice claim. Perhaps the best value could be each-way on local fresh runner Aimee's Idol (No5), who has a record of four wins and a placing from six starts at Ruakaka.
Local Ka Ching (No4, R8) will be better placed here than at the last meeting where she got caught back early and had to go wide on the turn to make her run. She wasn't far away and has drawn a much better barrier this time.
Show Lad (No5) went a nice race in a tougher field last time.
