Racing: Ring tips good track

The track for Saturday's all-important $200,000 Mudgway Fair Tax Stakes at Hastings is almost certain to be good.

That's according to the man who appears to know more about the weather than anyone else in New Zealand, Ken Ring.

The weather forecasting icon is making a big name for himself through his website and through his long-range and short-range weather forecasting on radio in New Zealand and more recently in Australia.

Remarkably, Ring has a success rate between 87 per cent and 91 per cent and that is predicting day-by-day forecasts up to a year in advance for every city and town in New Zealand.

If your memory's good you will recall the Herald's racing desk, fed up with unpredictable spring racing surfaces last year, called Ring to get a handle on what the Ellerslie track would be like for the Derby-Auckland Cup carnival from December 26 through to January 2.

Paraphrasing, Ring declared there would be a small amount of rain in Auckland on Christmas Eve and a few showers on Christmas Day with the likelihood of the track conditions being slightly affected.

But, he warned, there would be considerable rain New Year's Eve and the Ellerslie track would be affected.

The mistake the Herald made was not asking him for 10 winners on each day - he was 100 per cent on the money with the weather and track conditions and they were predicted on December 2.

For months on his radio show on Wednesday and Friday mornings, Ring has been declaring that September will be the wettest month of the year for Auckland and the Waikato - pretty much the top half of the North Island.

But, he says, particularly for Hawkes Bay, there will be no rain until the end of this month.

"My forecast is that there might be a slight shower today [Sunday] in Hawkes Bay, but after that there will be very fine weather right through after that for at least a week," said Ring.

"There will be six hours of sunshine tomorrow [today], eight hours on Tuesday, six for Wednesday and Thursday, seven hours on Friday and nine hours on Saturday.

"But it will be cold in Napier and Hastings next weekend."

Anyone who was at Hastings for last year's Mudgway day will know what cold means.

The Hastings track has been in perfect condition for the last week, according to Patrick Campbell, who is establishing a new stable on the course after nearly five years on the Malaysian circuit.

Those who might be concerned that the Ellerslie track might be too firm for a suitable relocated Great Northern meeting next month can relax.

Ring predicts so much rain for September there will not be any four-day period that remains dry.

"I've predicted an average of 125mls across the top of the North Island, which is against the year-by-year average of 90mls," said Ring.

"I've predicted the main amount of rain to fall on September 4th and 5th, again on the 12th and 13th then on the 18th.

"In Hawkes Bay the likely days are the 1st, the 7th and 8th then more clear weather until the 16th then rain on the 17th."

September 17 is the day of the second leg of the Hastings treble, the $150,000 Stoney Bridge Stakes.

Ring suggests that sufficient rain will fall through September to make it unlikely a firm track will eventuate for the big one, the $1 million Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings on October 1.