Racing: This horse terrifies bookies

Preparing a physically delicate horse for a major 3200m race is the toughest thing a trainer can do.

Lance O'Sullivan has no such problems with Pentane for today's $600,000 SkyCity Auckland Cup.

Pentane is as round-barrelled and gross as stayers get and O'Sullivan has had plenty to work with as he tries to win the race he landed twice during his reign as champion jockey.

"I think I'll work him twice each day from now on," said O'Sullivan when Pentane blew heavily after winning his final lead-up on his home track two weeks ago.

He was joking about that literal statement, but he has had to poke the work into the horse the TAB is terrified will win.

When the TAB opened its original futures book on the Auckland Cup it had Pentane, at that point still working through the grades, at $80.

The hits the TAB has had on its future book are frightening, the bookies tell you.

"We've got a six-figure liability," said Ken Rutherford.

The TAB waived the white flag by bringing Pentane in to a remarkably short $3 at one point, and head bookie Paul Lally made no apology in the face of heavy criticism.

"We simply didn't want any more money on him - we couldn't afford it."

The TAB, into Final Field betting since the weekend, is trying to balance that liability, but has no chance of getting even close.

Lally agrees it will not be a pretty sight watching Pentane flash across the line in front.

O'Sullivan disagrees.

Last Saturday morning O'Sullivan arrived home at Matamata at 1.45am from the Hall Of Fame Dinner and was out of bed again at 3.45am specifically to ride Pentane in his final serious gallop for the SkyCity Auckland Cup.

"I didn't have a drink at the dinner, so I didn't have to worry about falling off.

"He worked terrifically well. I couldn't be more pleased."

O'Sullivan knows Pentane will see out the 3200m - 2400m is as far as he's raced - because of the way he ground to the finish in his Matamata victory.

First-time rider Jason Waddell thought the horse was no chance when riding him along as far out as the approach to the home turn.

"I couldn't believe he could pick it up after that and he actually ran the last 200m very fast."

Another thing that struck Waddell was on pulling up how wide around the barrell and how hard Pentane was blowing.

"The bottoms of my legs were swinging outwards with every breath he took."

Michael Walker has had the Cup ride on Pentane since owner Bob Emery elected to put Lisa Cropp on Zarius after the pair won the 2400m City Of Auckland Cup on January 1.

Pentane remains favourite despite copping a 1.5kg re-handicap for his Matamata victory.

O'Sullivan said he does not want to make an issue of the weight to take away his focus this close to the big race, but is clearly disappointed at the level of weight re-structure.

"Let's just say the handicapper hasn't missed him."

The 53kg is only 2kg above the minimum weight and for such a promising stayer it does not look prohibitive.

You ask rival trainer Jim Gibbs who he sees as the biggest danger to his runner, well-fancied Kerry O'Reilly and he says: "That Lance O'Sullivan has got that sneaky look on his face he gets when he thinks he's got me beaten in a major race."

O'Sullivan laughs.

"With the likes of Zarius, Pentane and Kerry O'Reilly trained here at Matamata there's been some terrific friendly rivalry.

"This morning at the track Mark Walker [Zarius] walks past and says: 'There's been 15 points of rain in Auckland, can you tell Gibbsy on the way out'."

There had been no rain to undermine Kerry O'Reilly's chances and O'Sullivan doesn't want to see any for Pentane.

"Some people seem to think he likes it, but he doesn't. If it rains then Zarius would probably be even tougher to beat and All Square and maybe Kind Return will be right in it."