Racing: Sister Havana pleases in quiet workout

Sometimes you just get the feeling destiny is on your side.

The connections of Queensland filly Sister Havana might be thinking that heading into Sunday's $1 million Karaka Million at Ellerslie.

Only hours after Sister Havana had her first satisfactory quiet look at Ellerslie yesterday morning, she drew the coveted No 1 barrier at the 1200m starting point for Sunday's big feature.

Queensland trainer Liam Birchley declared he would be back for this race when his first runner, Sarge In Charge, finished second last year.

The timing for Sister Havana and her Queensland rider Stathi Katsidis looks spot on. Birchley was at Ellerslie yesterday morning and flew back to Queensland mid-afternoon and will return on Saturday.

He said he had done his main work with Sister Havana before he left home and was keen not to do too much yesterday because the filly had gone through a Brisbane-Sydney float trip to meet the flight to New Zealand.

Sister Havana worked at three-quarter pace from the 1000m and got up speed only from the 200m.

Many of the filly's leading rivals also drew well: Big River (2), Hoofit (4), Icepin (6), Irish Jewel (5) and Belles Fast (7).

Everlasting (15), Banchee (18) and Miss Marauder (14) were not so lucky. That trio will come out of gates (13), (14) and (12) if the field remains intact and the emergencies are scratched.

Interestingly, last year's winner, The Heckler, came out of the No 2 gate, but the inaugural winner in 2008, Vincent Mangano, started from the extreme outside, No 14.

Even more interesting is that Vincent Mangano came from last on the home corner to win and The Heckler also produced a late powerful drive to pick up the $600,000 cheque.

Those efforts suggested it was not an easy race in which to lead and win.

Trainers John Sargent (Banchee) and Frank Ritchie (Everlasting) see no option but to drop back early from their outside gates. Those are the instructions that will be given to respective riders Leith Innes and Jason Waddell.

"I was praying for a draw around 7 or 8," said Ritchie, "but it's not a total disaster because I'm convinced he's a horse that needs to be ridden cold."

Sargent is disappointed, but not devastated. "She'll go back, but it won't greatly affect her because she's a very adaptable filly. At least she'll be out of trouble back there ... hopefully."

He is delighted with the progress of Red Ruler, hot favourite to make it three straight wins, in Saturday's Wellington Cup. "He's done tremendously well on the trip and will gallop tomorrow morning."

Yesterday, the TAB had Red Ruler at $2.80 for the cup ahead of Booming on $6, Heat Haze and Fiorano at $9, Stand Tall ($14), Young Centaur ($16) and Fazza on $21.

Wall Street has stayed a very hot $2.60 favourite for the $200,000 Harcourts Thorndon Mile.

Tell A Tale is the $6.50 second favourite in the Thorndon with Culminate at $8.50, Capacia and Mill Duckie at $10, Run Like Al on $12 and La Etoile at $14.