By MIKE DILLON
Brett Scott says there is a doubt over Maybe Rough at the 4900m distance of tomorrow's $25,000 Pakuranga Hunt Cup at Ellerslie.
But he is not ruling the topline jumper out completely.
"He had 10 easy days when he copped a throat infection a few weeks back and whether he's quite got the background work for 4900m and twice over the Ellerslie hill is a bit of a question," said Scott, who returned from his Melbourne base with Maybe Rough and rode two winners at Egmont yesterday.
Maybe Rough has not raced at Ellerslie and Scott schooled him over the Ellerslie hill on Wednesday.
"He blew a bit afterwards and jumped cautiously, but his jumping will improve when he is racing in a field."
The Ellerslie track was yesterday officially soft, but with drying weather the footing could get back to easy, which would suit Maybe Rough and inconvenience some of his star opposition.
"The better the footing the better he'll race," said Scott.
"He's not an easy horse to ride because he gets pulling a lot of the time, but if I can get him to settle it could be the key to the race. He's been winning with 67kg in Melbourne so the 64kg certainly won't worry him."
Rain has been forecast for Auckland late on Saturday.
Ken and Ann Browne would like to see it arrive early for their three Pakuranga Hunt Cup runners Gold Story, Lost In The Flood and All Rhythm.
"But we are not sweating over it," said Ann Browne.
"Ellerslie is such a fair course to all runners that small deficiencies can be overcome. It's fair to all runners."
Browne admits the stable's chances of lifting the race would improve with rain.
"But even Gold Story, who loves the wet, finished close up in a flat race on a track that was nearly firm.
"All our horses will still race well. You can't worry about things you can't control."
Gold Story will become good story if he wins. He took the TV Guide Hurdles as a jumping maiden in June and since switching to steeplechasing he has not missed many races - this will be his sixth consecutive weekend of racing.
If the rain does arrive early and the track goes to heavy, Gold Story's toughness and love of the mud will become a huge factor.
Racing: Query over Maybe Rough
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