Racing: Owner's warning to punters about Ellerslie favourite Avantage

There are pros and cons for Avantage in the Hallmark Newmarket Handicap at Ellerslie today. Photo / Race Images

First comes the praise, then the warning. The second is the more powerful message about Avantage's return in the $60,000 Hallmark Newmarket Handicap at Ellerslie today.

Nobody doubts the former Karaka Million winner is the best horse in the race, and that includes last season's Railway winner Santa Monica, with Avantage already a million-dollar earner in just 12 starts.

She won a Group 3 in Sydney last autumn and chased home Classique Legend in the A$1 million Arrowfield at Group 2 level but her return to Sydney this spring went from bad to worse.

"I just don't think she came up, trialing on the heavy tracks," says trainer Jamie Richards. "But she has been better this time in. She was able to trial on a good track at Avondale recently and went very well and then her exhibition gallop with Princess Kereru here [in Matamata] last week was outstanding. So I think she is the best she has been for a year."

That is the praise part, the part that makes you think the $4.60 offered for Avantage in today's 1200m listed race is great money. But Richards has words of warning.

"First of all, she has barrier 13 and we all know how hard that can be to overcame over 1200m.

"And secondly, this isn't her main aim, it is a lead-up race to probably the Telegraph [at Trentham] in a few weeks.

"At this stage, we are going to bypass the Railway with her unless she did something really spectacular in this race and maybe won her a leg in the air.

"So we don't have her really screwed down for this like we will have in a few weeks.

"Sure, I think she can win. But the instructions to Opie will be to let her find her feet early and then storm home, so it could be a tricky race for punters who want to back her.

"So I'd like them to be aware of that."

Whether Avantage can win today may depend on the tempo, where her key rivals end up and whether the swoopers are able make ground.

Ellerslie has played evenly over recent meetings, and has tended to be fair when the rail is back in the true like it will be today.

But quality sprinters wait for no horse and there are plenty in today's field capable of breaking 1:9 for the 1200m so Avantage won't want too much going against her if she is to make her first visit to the Ellerslie winner's stall since her Karaka Million victory of 23 months ago.

While most of the Railway favourites dodge today's race as they are already in next week's Group 1, others like Sprint Heat, Mr Universe and Marzemino could guarantee themselves a start with victory today. All currently sit outside the 14 confirmed in the field for the New Years Day super sprint.

An interesting newcomer to today's race is former Hong Kong galloper Divine Boy, who has raced the likes of Chautauqua and Werther at Group 1 level during his career.

Don't be fooled by his form saying he is a last-start winner, that was 18 months ago in a class two at Sha Tin.

He was, however, a solid finishing fourth in a decent open catchweight trial at Te Aroha last week and could be a sneaky somewhere over the summer for new trainer Todd Mitchell.