Racing: Sectionals tell true story before Auckland Cup

There's a big call to be made on Wednesday's racing at Ellerslie.

It's whether you use Saturday's Nathans Memorial as a finite guide to the $600,000 SkyCity Auckland Cup or whether you ignore that race completely and look at the three absent runners from the weekend, Kerry O'Reilly, Pentane and Genebel.

It probably has to be one or the other.

If you favour the Nathans then how do you approach that race.

It was run at a pedestrian clip and became a sprint home - rarely a good guide for a 3200m Cup.

Probably the best guide is how each horse fared from the 600m.

The final sectionals were interesting. They were taken from the 600m peg on the outside of the track, therefore the distance is not accurate, but the relativity is.

(1st) Zabeat 33.97

(2nd) All Square 33.95

(3rd=) Kind Return (33.93)

(3rd=) Zarius 33.25

(5th) Distinctly Secret 33.64

Current second favourite Zarius raced like a dead-set metric two miler, getting back and levelling out in the closing stages as he ran home.

His closing 600m was the fastest of the race and, interestingly, his stablemate Distinctly Secret clocked the second-fastest sectional and was the widest horse around the home bend to do it.

Zabeat deserved his win after a series of luckless performances - he and rider Scott Seamer were lucky to keep their feet around the home bend in the Wellington Cup.

"He's such a big-striding horse he can't sit among them and then kick, he has to be out in the open," said co-trainer Dean Logan.

"We told Catherine [Treymane] today to go forward and go nowhere near the rail.

"He has to go 3200m on Wednesday so if he couldn't sit parked and kick on today then he couldn't win on Wednesday."

Trainer Jim Gibbs was well pleased with Kerry O'Reilly's final piece of strong work when he galloped at Matamata on Saturday morning.

"Yes I'm very pleased, but I'm not delighted to have drawn barrier No 24."

He's not alone. Pentane has barrier No 15, Zarius No 17 and Zabeat No 16.

How they ran:

ZABEAT (1st): Sat outside the leader, took over on the turn and defied them. Co-trainer Dean Logan: "He'd been so unlucky in the big races. He'll improve further and that was a good trial for the Cup."

ALL SQUARE (2nd): Middle, ranged up to challenge at the 320m, fought strongly. Co-owner and trainer Gary Vile: "I was rapt in that run - you couldn't ask for a better Cup trial. It gave Grant Cooksley a feel of the horse and there is improvement. Honestly, he goes in with a real chance. I've never raced for $600,000 before."

ZARIUS (3rd =): Stayed back, ran home strongly down the outside. Trainer Mark Walker: "He ground home like a stayer, but that's because he's been trained for 3200m. It's been noticeable in his work that he's becoming more dour. He's come from second last on the home bend today so it was a top effort. I'm happy with that."

KIND RETURN (3rd =): Middle on the rails. Looked flat-footed at the 350m then picked it up. Fought well.

Trainer John Sargent: "Very, very pleased. It took her a while to wind up, but she's like that. Once she got rolling she came into it well. In terms of the Cup it was a sound trial. If she puts more pressure on them on Wednesday it'll be good."

DISTINCTLY SECRET (6th): In last two. Ran on fairly.

Trainer Mark Walker: "I thought his run was okay. He's also been trained for 3200m and for the sort of horse he is that makes it difficult for him at 2200m. He's definitely going to run. He finished 6th and 7th in Melbourne Cups and was unlucky in one of them."

COMMAND 'N CONQUER (9th): Failed to get into it. Rider Leith Innes: "Disappointing. He might be looking for some give in the ground. I liked the way he worked at the Breakfast With The Stars on Tuesday on a dead track, but he didn't feel the same today. Don't know what to make of it."