KEY POINTS:
Trainer Dave Kaa isn't exactly sure what was bugging Bachelorette at Addington last Friday.
But all he cares about is that it isn't bugging her now.
The underrated Cambridge mare gets her best shot at group one glory in tonight's $100,000 Breeders Stakes at Addington, a race depleted by loss of defending champion It's Ella, who was retired this week.
Bachelorette was heavily-backed in the lead-up race last Friday but was a beaten horse even before she rolled on to the track.
"Firstly, she was in season and she never races well when she is like that," admitted Kaa.
"But I had to give her a start because she needed the race to be ready for this week."
Bachelorette's other problem before last Friday's race was not so easy to detect.
"She was either stung by a bee or rolled on a piece of glass in her paddock," explains Kaa.
"When I went out to get her at 3pm her knee had blown up so I told the stipes to make sure it was all handled properly.
"We jogged her in front of them at the races and the knee had gone down heaps. But while it may not have affected her physically in the race, it made her grumpy as hell beforehand and she doesn't race well like that."
The knee is now back to normal and Bachelorette is no longer in season. Against a weaker field and with a good barrier draw she can win tonight's feature.
With It's Ella out of the race, Foreal is the only open class mare in the line-up but she has struggled to find the line as vigorously this season as she did last year.
If Bachelorette can stay in front of her she will take a lot of catching over the 2600m.
"The distance will suit her and I think she will be a lot better horse this week," said Kaa.
"She feels a lot better and I think she is back to about where she was last season. So this is our chance."
Foreal is an obvious danger in what may be one of her last big races in New Zealand.
She has been outsprinted by It's Ella in their latest clashes but will only need decent luck tonight to go very close. After all, this time last season she finished third in the Interdominion Final.
Speedsters Smoke N Mirrors, Port Courage and Veecmee gets their chances for a group one placing tonight but it is hard to see them upsetting the two favourites.
The meeting also sees exciting trotting mare Lough Beg continue her race for a place in the Harness Jewels, which will be held at Cambridge on May 31.
The close relation of the great Lyell Creek has been in superb form since debuting on Boxing Day, winning three of her four starts.
She heads to Addington for the first time under race conditions tonight but the style in which she won on both days of the recent Marlborough meeting suggests she has not finished winning yet.
She comes up against some seasoned rivals from a standing start but began safely from the tapes at Marlborough and has drawn the front line for tonight's test. She seems certain to be the punters' elect.
