Racing: Soft going no problem

Manawatu trainer Kevin Gray is unperturbed by the prospect of a heavy track for his mare Daffodil in the A$2.25 million BMW at Rosehill in Sydney on Saturday.

While Daffodil has seldom raced on a heavy track, Gray does not expect the surface to be as heavy as tracks get in New Zealand and says she has performed well in the soft - winning the group one Windsor Park Plate (1400m) on a slow track in the spring.

"She handles both types of track surfaces and I'd rather the jar was out of the track than it being rock hard," said Gray.

"Top-class horses handle all sort of track in my opinion. When I had Copper Belt he could run on firm, dead, wet, slushy and heavy."

Daffodil had improved since her run for fourth in the group one Ranvet Stakes two weeks ago and the 2400m should be no trouble to her - she was an outstanding winner of the AJC Australian Oaks on a dead Randwick track last year.

Hugh Bowman, who was on board in the Oaks win, rides the mare again and indicated after the Ranvet that he would not have her so forward in the field in the BMW.

Gray said he had not studied the opposition, but expected fellow New Zealander Harris Tweed to be a tough opponent.

Harris Tweed, who will be ridden by Darren Beadman, won his only start on a heavy track at this Rosehill meeting last year, winning the group two Tulloch Stakes (2000m).

Theseo was a $3 favourite on TAB Sportsbet yesterday, from Speed Gifted on $5, Daffodil on $7 and Harris Tweed $11.

The other New Zealanders running on Saturday are King Mufhasa in the group one George Ryder Stakes (1500m) and Ekstreme in the Queen of the Turf Stakes (1500m).

King Mufhasa prefers firm tracks, but did run a top race for third in the Ryder on a heavy track last year.

Ekstreme performs best on wet tracks and was an enticing $81 chance in the Sydney markets yesterday, while King Mufhasa was a $16 chance.

In other BMW news, imported stayer Speed Gifted has made significant improvement from his Ranvet Stakes placing as he attempts to turn the tables on the in-form Theseo in Saturday's A$2.25 million The BMW at Rosehill.

That's the opinion of jockey Glen Boss who rode the group one winner in the Ranvet and in trackwork at Warwick Farm on Tuesday.

Speed Gifted finished less than two lengths behind Theseo in the Ranvet (2000m) second-up at Rosehill on March 20 and is likely to get conditions in his favour stepping up to a more suitable distance.

"He went into the Ranvet probably just short of a run and he definitely felt like he's made good improvement from that run," Boss said after partnering the stayer in a workout at Warwick Farm.

- NZPA and AAP