Racing: Salvatore ready for testing 1200m task at Ellerslie

The stone bruise that kept Salvatore from Ellerslie two weeks ago is a distant memory for trainer Anne Herbert.

A barrier trial win at Cambridge, a week ago, has set the scene for Salvatore gaining a compensatory victory in tomorrow's $20,000 Crombie Lockwood Insurance 1200 at Ellerslie.

Salvatore's pet distance is 1400m, but he has twice won at 1200m from six starts and tomorrow's track, yesterday rated a heavy (10), should be testing enough to make this race close enough to a 1400m test.

He has gone down narrowly with fighting efforts in his past two starts and deserves a winning turn here.

Sandblaster won well in R80 class, with 58kg two starts back, then finished fourth under 55.5kg when stepping up to R90 level last time.

He drops back a further 2.5kg this time by going into open grade. The No 14 gate last time did him no favours and although he has drawn the outside again, this time there are only nine runners.

He deserves serious consideration, as does veteran My Lips Ar Sealed.

He looked an improver when third to Irish Colleen at Ellerslie last start and the 2kg Alvin Ng claims brings him into a competitive 56kg.

Ledecky's Girl is starting to look pretty good and as difficult as it is to win four straight these days she comes into Race 3 with a great chance.

She is another of in-form Alvin Ng's rides and looks a winning hope again.

Hurricane Mickey has turned in two smart efforts for the Baker stable since returning to racing and gets his chance to put a winning score on the board in the second event. If the forecast rain arrives before his early race so much the better for his chances.