Racing: Only two figure in betting

Bazelle (right) and Kind Return meet in the Whakanui Stud International tomorrow. Picture / Dean Purcell

If the $100,000 Waikato Sprint at Te Rapa tomorrow wasn't a two-horse war earlier in the week, it certainly is now.

In the absence of Xcellent and Baldessarini, similar genuine group one performers Darci Brahma and Gee I Jane are going to totally dominate betting.

And that's in a field that includes grand old campaigner Sedecrem, winner of this race last year and a serious threat again.

Darci Brahma is an Australian group one winner and the winner of six of his seven New Zealand starts.

He is making a fresh start following a spell after his explosive 2000 Guineas win at Riccarton in November and has been working in his best style at Matamata.

"He's flying," said Mark Walker yesterday.

"He's coming up terrifically well in a new preparation and everything has gone right for this race."

Remarkably, Darci Brahma appeared to develop a better finishing sprint with each race he had in the spring.

If he produces the same sprint he came up with in the 2000 Guineas at Riccarton this race will be over well before the winning post.

Gee I Jane's trainer Neville Couchman obviously sees the advantage in not having to face Xcellent and Baldessarini, but believes that comes at a price.

"I thought she was in the race right up to her ears before the other two were scratched.

"The problem now is that small fields can be tricky. Often they run them at a muddling pace - riders take their eyes off the ball and horses are reefing and getting on heels."

That's not the perfect scenario for Gee I Jane, a horse that likes to get on with her work, relax off a strong pace and storm into the picture late.

That is very unlikely to be the racing pattern of this feature.

Gee I Jane was in contention for the country's unluckiest racehorse before her fortunes turned with a runaway Telegraph victory at Trentham last start.

Couchman is delighted with the way the classy mare has trained on.

"I'm very happy with her."

Vinny Colgan replaces an injured Scott Seamer and Couchman is unsure what instructions he will be handing the Matamata jockey.

"We might ride her a little differently because of the way the race will be run."

One statistic that is almost certainly irrelevant is that Gee I Jane has not won either of her 1400m starts.

"The first of them was in a special maiden race at Hastings. She ended up leading and that didn't suit.

"The second was in the Breeders Stakes race that Calveen won at Ellerslie and she was four back on the rails and never got a crack at them."

TAB Final Field betting yesterday: $1.65 Darci Brahma, $4.50 Gee I Jane, $8 Sedecrem, $8.50 Kristov, $12 Manten.