By MIKE DILLON
Moira Murdoch is hoping Zabeels Angel is prepared to take a trail in tomorrow's $15,000 Singapore Turf Club Trophy at Ellerslie.
However, if the talented Takanini mare is not, Murdoch gives no hope of seeing her class galloper Just Call Me Sir return to winning form in his first start since breaking down last August.
Just Call Me Sir bowed a tendon in Singapore last time to the races and was brought back to New Zealand in the hope that Murdoch's beach training methods at Waiuku would allow him to race again.
Murdoch's first impression was less than hopeful, but she is now pleased with the tendon.
She is less pleased with the prospect of Zabeels Angel and Just Call Me Sir, two natural leaders, running each other into the ground in a speed duel.
"I don't know if Zabeels Angel can take a trail, but I know my bloke won't, it's just not in his personality," she said.
"So if the mare goes hard she will probably bring Just Call Me Sir undone, because he's not ready to run a hard 1400m under 58kg after a speed contest.
"It's nearly a year since he raced, so he's vulnerable, but I'm very pleased with the way he went when he finished second at the Te Aroha trials."
Just Call Me Sir, while a group-one winner, has been known to have a mind of his own, something which Murdoch is pleased about.
"Trudy [Collett], says there is no chance of him hurting himself because he won't run hard until he's properly fit and ready," she said.
"He fought hard at the Te Aroha trials even though Laura Woods' instructions were to hold him together, so if what Trudy says is right, he's getting himself close to ready.
"One thing I can state categorically is that he won't mind a puggy track," said Murdoch with a bit of humour.
The horse both Just Call Me Sir and Zabeels Angel have to worry about is Call Me Zeus, who turned in a big second to Adonis at Te Rapa a couple of weeks ago in what was his first start for John Wheeler.
That was his first start for five months and he could not help but be fitter for the outing. Call Me Zeus has a record of two wins from three starts at Ellerslie and exactly the same record on heavy tracks.
Unless there are two Party Queens, the big Te Awamutu mare is racing lengths off her best form.
She could perhaps be forgiven for her last-start failure at Rotorua, which can trip up some horses, but there is little to explain her 13th at Te Rapa behind Cinder Bella the time before.
The line-up for the $35,000 Lanvin Epernay Champagne Stakes is so even it might be difficult picking the favourite.
That may fall to Rainman, who has yet to strike a heavy track, but who gave the impression winning on an easy surface at Te Rapa last start that may not be a problem.
Danavon managed a soft track so well at Avondale last start, and looked so determined in the closing stages that he may be the one to beat if he can make that one step up to heavy footing.
Racing: Murdoch calls for help
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