By MIKE DILLON
The three main chances in the $70,000 Travis Stakes at Te Rapa tomorrow are looking for something forecasters say they won't find - rain.
How stiff can they be. When the weather breaks we'll see five months of wet tracks which Country Rose, Party Queen and Cinder Bella won't get to see much of because they will have run out of suitable racing opportunities.
Country Rose is the most likely to get away with a track which is closer to summer conditions than the other two mares and with an already good record on the Te Rapa track she makes appeal to end what looks an ordinary formline.
Take no notice of Country Rose's form on paper. Okay, it looks less than ideal, but she has raced only in the best company and not with a great deal of luck.
She perhaps raced fractionally below her best when beaten favourite in the Jaguar Easter Handicap at Ellerslie last start, but she ended not much more than three lengths from Magic Winner after being slow away as usual.
This left-handed track will suit her better and with only her own sex to contend with this time, she should find it much more suitable.
If there is any give in the track at all, Cinder Bella is the big threat.
She found very firm tracks in two starts in Sydney right against her, but her form when rain is around is outstanding.
Ditto for Party Queen, whose rider Gary Grylls said felt as though she needed her Jaguar Easter Handicap outing last start.
The dangers beyond this trio Nobodywantsme, Regency, Grovana and Sarwatch would all prefer firm footing.
Nobodywantsme is stepping up from 53kg in handicap class to level weights against the best mares around, but if the race comes down to a desperate struggle, few will handle that better. It was admirable grit she showed to win at Ellerslie last start.
Regency has not had things to suit and is good enough to be a real threat at useful odds.
King Keitel may be better known these days as a stayer, but three of his seven wins have been at the 1400m distance of the Presland Tocker Insurance.
And having his first start back from a spell, King Keitel is well placed to be fresh enough to handle the task of being a real threat in the second leg of the TAB double.
His record of two wins and two placings from six fresh-up career starts might prove a telling statistic.
Last-start winner Kasman gets 3kg off King Keitel and with a perfect No2 barrier draw with which to take advantage of his speed, is the likely favourite.
Kane Bradley drops Zapeace's weight from 58kg topweight to 56kg, and while that will help for a little mare, even more significant will be track conditions.
Zapeace is unbeaten in three starts on Te Rapa and has outstanding wet track form, but for all her class she has yet to win on a firm surface.
She needs only a little give, as the 1.23.82 1400m time showed when she won this race on an easy track last year. Watch her if the track reading is 2.4-2.5 or worse.
Racing: Rain will help Rose to bloom
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