Racing: Showcause sets bar for Auckland Cup

One of the certainties that came out of Saturday's $100,000 Avondale Cup is that nothing finishing behind the winner Showcause can beat him in the $1 million Stella Artois Auckland Cup.

Showcause covered more ground than anything in Saturday's race and beat the opposition easily.

Which leaves stablemates Passchendaele and Red Ruler as the only likely dangers of the fresh runners.

Not surprisingly, Passchendaele is the $3.50 Cup favourite after her fine weight-for-age third to Red Ruler at Te Rapa last week.

The Matamata mare drops from 57kg there to 53kg in the Auckland Cup, but despite that Showcause is equally entitled to be viewed as a weight special.

As the winner of the New Zealand Cup, City Of Auckland Cup and now Avondale Cup, he comes into the Auckland Cup stunningly well on 53kg.

He was just a two-win horse when he won the New Zealand Cup, allowing him into the Avondale Cup on 54.5kg and there is no Auckland Cup rehandicap for Saturday's victory.

The other danger to Showcause would be a ride identical to the one that landed him home on Saturday.

That might sound harsh on Darryl Bradley, who knew he was on a horse that probably needed to get handy before the home turn on a day when most found it difficult to run on from the back late and one that would keep giving even after doing work in running.

However, taking off three wide around the field from the 1200m is not going to win an Auckland Cup.

Showcause and Bradley got away with doing that in the City Of Auckland Cup and on Saturday.

"I know it looked ugly, but getting out there gave him clear air and that suits him," said the Central Districts rider on dismounting. Trainer Frank Ritchie said yesterday he and Bradley needed to very carefully plan the Auckland Cup tactics.

"One of the problems is that this horse has become so laidback and relaxed he walks out of the barriers.

"I told Darryl [on Saturday] that if that happens not to panic and to try and slide him forward somewhere in the second half of the race."

Despite making things almost impossible for himself through the ground he covered, Showcause has won with petrol in the tank on Saturday, pricking his ears in the closing stages when left on his own in front.

You were left wondering what he might have won the race by had he jumped quickly and put himself straight into the trail.

Showcause is the $6 second favourite for the Auckland Cup with Roi D'Jeu on $9 and Cassini, who pushed Showcause hard in the City Of Auckland Cup, at $10.

Red Ruler, who has to carry 58kg, is paying $12.

Innocent Lady, who got a drag into the race from the winner, clung on to second, a nose in front of the fast-finishing Loose Change.

Southerner Trilogy also made ground nicely in the final 200m.