Racing: Opie points to Indikator's claim

Te Aroha trainer Keith Opie originally thought Indikator could not be competitive in tomorrow's Gartshore Construction 2100 at Tauranga.

He's now having to reassess that.

Opie has the Rotorua Cup in two weeks as Indikator's main target and thought the field tomorrow would be good enough to safely hold his stayer, who is still on the way up.

"But have a look at the field. I'm not picking on them, but it's not a great line-up, is it?

"You have to say now he is a major chance."

Opie had wanted to run Indikator in last week's Easter Handicap at Ellerslie.

"But it didn't rain and on a firm track he just can't run 1:34 for the 1600m, so we pulled him out.

"I thought this run at Tauranga would just be a run to toughen him up for Rotorua."

Indikator has clear topweight of 58kg, which will not make his task easy, but he is a classy stayer at best.

The hardest to beat are probably going to be Calatrava, who looks back in her best form, and Copybook.

Calatrava got back at Ellerslie last week after beginning awkwardly.

She is a winner from only two starts at Tauranga and with a comfortable 54kg should be right in contention.

Copybook should be improved by her first-up 1600m run last week.

* If Matamata trainer John Sargent is right about Princess Emmy the filly should go close to winning today's $30,000 New Zealand Bloodstock 2YO Fillies Classic at Avondale.

Princess Emmy's form reads - 6-3-3-1.

Sargent says the filly has been on an upward curve from the start.

"It took her a while to learn things," he said, which made her Te Aroha victory a pretty smart effort.

"She's still learning and she's gone on the right way from Te Aroha so from a nice draw she should be difficult to beat."

The danger looks to be Twilight Savings from the Baker team.

She was placed twice late last year then given a break, from which she emerged with a dominating win at Tauherenikau on March 28.

The impressive part of that victory was the gap she put on the opposition early in the home straight after leading the field up.

Customised was one of those who got back in the group one Manawatu Sires Produce last start and failed to emerge.

Lion Tamer was another and he bounced back to win last week's Champagne Stakes.

The debut Ellerslie win by Customised was spectacular when she got back and stormed home past the opposition late in the race. Anything like a repeat of that would put her in this finish.

Hassle Free looks an improver.