Racing: Myers should enjoy winning day

Celebrity Miss faces a tough task to win the Taumarunui Gold Cup with the steadier of 60kg today, but her class could offset the impost. Picture / Trish Dunell

Whanganui horseman treks to Arawa Park with a strong team, which should ensure good pickings for punters.

Probably the best bet at Rotorua today is two-legged Kevin Myers.

You won't get odds on it, but the Whanganui trainer, who loves racing at Arawa Park, should win a race or two. Or three.

Myers is extremely difficult to beat in jumping races and he can pick up the first two today. Bayrum (No 1, R1) looks close enough to the goods in the opener after his last-start second. He has in-form Shaun Fannin aboard in what is essentially a set weight affair.

Fannin also rides the Myers-trained Ngairo (No 4, R2) and with his form background he's going to be difficult to hold out.

The Myers-trained Onefortheditch (No 6, R5) will be suited by the six-horse field. She gets back in running, which can be difficult on winter tracks, but with only five horses in front of her on the home bend, she will get her chance. Jacqui Ickx (No 3) looks the danger after her second last start.

Duffers Creek (No 1, R7) comes into the $40,000 sprint on a luxury 56kg thanks to the 4kg Sha Wahab takes off his back. Yes, an inexperienced rider in an open race can sometimes spell problems, but there is a limit to the trouble you can get into in a six-horse field.

The stable can end the day on a high note if Third Time Lucky (No 8, R10) can get a reasonable run. She can handle wet tracks and finishes off well. Adriatic Pearl (No 7) came back to winning form last start and that may not be the end of it.

Acrylic (No 1, R3) is smart and a pretty good prospect early on the programme. He followed up a classy second to a good type in Battle Time at Tauranga with an unplaced effort at Te Rapa, but it may pay not to take too much notice of that.

In Race 7, El Pescado (No 2) could offer Duffers Creek most opposition.

The $50,000 Taumarunui Woods Contracting Gold Cup is a worrying contest. The dangers are the topweights, Celebrity Miss (No 1), Pump Up The Volume (No 2) and Reka (No 3) but it's a concern how the top three will handle the 60kg and even favourite Katy Keen (No 4) has 57kg. At the odds, Pump Up The Volume, as tough as they come, may be the shot, but don't totally discount Celebrity Miss, even though 60kg is a big ask for a mare in these conditions. Tough race.

Mongolian Wolf (No 2, R6) is this column's tip to overturn the favourite Manhattan Street (No 1) in the $50,000 Ryder Stakes at Otaki.

He has the blinkers on for the first time and the stable says the headgear has sharpened up his work. Masa Tanaka takes the ride on the Baker/Forsman colt. Impulsive Habit (No 4) and Cortado (No 5) are dangers.