Racing: Oliver keen to see El Perez run in spring

El Perez might have finished only fourth in Saturday's A$100,000 Banjo Paterson in Melbourne but Damien Oliver has not lost faith in the horse.

The champion Australian jockey is trying hard to talk co-trainer Donna Logan into taking the horse back to Melbourne for the rich spring carnival.

And he will probably be successful with his persuasion.

"It's definitely a priority," said Logan yesterday.

"And so is the Metropolitan in Sydney."

Logan said the entire spring programme will depend on how well El Perez does following his two-race Melbourne campaign.

"He'll be back in his paddock in New Zealand at 9 in the morning and things will depend on how we can bounce him back from this."

El Perez looked impressive winning on his Australian debut with Oliver in the saddle the week previous.

"Damien said after Saturday that that race might have taken a little bit more out of him than we thought," Logan said.

"He didn't feel quite as sharp.

"He said he still went well and his last 200m was the second fastest of the race behind the horse that finished seventh.

"Damien really likes the horse."

Races in Melbourne like the Geelong Cup and Sandown Cup are perfect targets for El Perez, as is Sydney's Metropolitan in early October, a race the Logan stable won a few years ago with Victory Smile.

"He might get into the Metrop with something like 51kg or 52kg.

"But we're going to be careful with him because he's still a bit of a baby - there is not a lot of him yet.

* Trainers winning two middle-distance intermediate races by wide margins are usually thinking of open handicaps.

Del Roberts is thinking of a Great Northern jumping victory with I'm A Panther, runaway winner at Te Awamutu on Saturday, replicating the nearly 10-length victory on the same course two starts earlier.

Roberts said he couldn't wait to test I'm A Panther's seemingly bottomless stamina in a jumping race.

"He hasn't jumped a fence yet," Roberts said.

"He's got a couple of flat races left in him and in the late winter we'll school him up over fences and get ready for next winter.

"He'll stay for ever."

Roberts will soon ready himself with the task of preparing Trebla to defend his New Zealand Cup victory at Riccarton in November.

* Crown Dancer's steeplechase winat Te Awamutu on Saturday was timely.

Co-trainer Sheryl McGlade is on the road to recovery after spending 10 days in Waikato Hospital with a suspected virus in the brain.

Crown Dancer deserved the victory.

She was taken on in front practically from the start by Bogeyman, but eventually fought that horse off with immaculate jumping and just lasted to hold out Bogeyman's stablemate Stitched.

Lance Macfarlane did not panic during what was a tough ride because of the challenge and similarly deserved his share of the spoils.