Racing: Salted Caramel flavour of the day

Salted Caramel has had a bittersweet campaign so far. Picture / Race Images

With maturity has come consistency and the in-form Salted Caramel looks in line for a deserved victory at Matamata today.

The Swiss Ace mare has opened her current preparation in encouraging style with two strong efforts, which indicate she will be hard to bowl in the Property Brokers 1200.

"I'm sure she's going to run well again and she's come in this time with a more positive attitude, she's ready to strike," trainer Paul Mirabelli said.

"She has been a very highly strung mare, but she's settled down a lot more now."

Salted Caramel finished a close second when resuming at Te Teko last month and was again runner-up at Tauranga at her most recent appearance.

"It's a bit better field this time and she'll have to carry topweight, which is unfortunate, but Mark Hills is such a balanced rider that I decided to go with him and not to claim."

Mirabelli will also produce a top winning prospect in Ekarosa at tomorrow's Hawke's Bay meeting.

"I was going to go to Taranaki on Saturday, but it will be too heavy a track and Hastings will give us a good surface," he said.

Ekarosa finished off strongly for third behind Bee Tee Junior and she shares the same future goal as the winner.

"It's a longshot at this stage," Mirabelli said, "but I've definitely got the New Zealand Cup in the back of my mind for her."

- NZ Racing Desk