Racing: Royal performance required in Classique

Barrier No 17 in a $500,000 race isn't wrist-slitting material, but it's close.

Takanini trainer Bruce Wallace was staggeringly relaxed after his class colt Royal Pericles drew an outside running rail barrier for tomorrow's $500,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Classique at Te Rapa.

He even sees a positive in it. "I actually see it as better than drawing in at 1 or 2."

Wallace's encouragement comes from the Eclipse Stakes effort of Royal Pericles at the Ellerslie carnival, where he ran on strongly to finish third after tailing the field to the home turn.

"I'd written him off in the Eclipse when he turned for home. I thought for a horse that had previously got out of the gates well, he was no hope.

"The fact he missed the jump was a positive. If he'd drawn 1 or 2 in this race I doubt he'd have made the lead and he'd have been jammed up behind them.

"He'll settle back on Saturday. Knowing that he likes to get to the outside - not that it's something I encourage - I can see him running at them in the closing stages."

Royal Pericles has impressed Wallace, his rider Gary Grylls and Allan Peard, essentially Wallace's stable foreman.

Wallace had resisted the temptation to take the Stravinsky colt to Trentham for the recently-completed carnival to have him at his peak for this race.

"Previously I have sent all my good horses there, but it has been a bit tough on some of them."

If Royal Pericles is to run at the leaders and pick them up he will need as much zip sprint in his legs as he can manage and the Trentham trip would have been debilitating.

Wallace is not the only trainer inconvenienced by the barrier draw.

"The fact five of the top six chances have drawn outside No 10 makes it interesting.

"If I was a promoter I'd be saying this is making it a great spectacle."

Wallace said he had eyes on Melbourne's A$1 million ($1.1 million) Blue Diamond Stakes with Royal Pericles.

"It's a race I always wanted to tackle, but taking them to Trentham has stood in the way. You can't go to Wellington and to Australia."

With Don Garcia wobbling his way out of contention for this race, the way is clear for Royal Pericles to be right in the party.

Punters will likely make Canterbury filly Italia favourite.

The Stravinsky filly surprised everyone, including co-trainer Shane Kennedy, when she tore off the $100,000 Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham last start.

She started from barrier No 13 of the 14 runners, came wide on the dogleg bend and finishing too powerfully for the likes of Habana, Mon Reve and Jokers Wild.

"She was on trial for this Te Rapa race and we needed to see her finish in the first five at Trentham - I'd be lying if I said the way she won didn't surprise me," said Kennedy.

"Having said that, she's always had a very, very good turn of foot and has such a good head on her she knows how to relax."

Kennedy is thrilled with the way Italia has travelled from the South Island and is similarly delighted with the mid-field draw.

"She has settled into Richard Collett's stable brilliantly and her work the other morning was terrific.

"She's not very big and we didn't want her drawing inside and getting in the thick of it.

"From her draw she should be able to sit one width off the fence.

"It's also a help that much of the speed in the race has drawn wider."

Talented Blue Skies was beaten favourite when she failed to hold out Master Hunter at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, but it was not a bad run considering she had not raced for nearly two months.

Her previous two efforts were excellent.

In the same race IfIonlyhadtime sat three and four deep without cover and still finished only two lengths from the winner. He has drawn much better at No 5 here and might not be out of it.