KEY POINTS:
Different track, different distance, different tempo.
Willy Smith will be looking for those three factors in the First Sovereign Trust 2100 at Te Rapa tomorrow to turn around a 5.7-length defeat last start.
The talented Cambridge stayer went out favourite for the York Cup at Avondale two weeks ago, but could finish only sixth, nearly six lengths from the winner Philamor.
Willy Smith, a rugged staying type, was unsuited by the very slow tempo - the 2000m was run in a pedestrian 2.06.41.
It left most of the runners without the opportunity to sprint home and it was significant that the first two around the home turn - Philamor and Generous George - were the first two home.
There is liable to be more pace in this field and the step up to 2100m will assist Willy Smith, who will be ridden by Matt Cameron.
Although aided by the race pattern, Philamor was no fluke winner of the York Cup.
It has taken forever to get him back healthy and sound and Tony Cole has done a magnificent job. The handsome chestnut looks extremely bright and is the obvious horse to beat again.
Valley Chief is the value runner. He did not get a lot of luck in the Counties Cup at Ellerslie and then was only 6.5 lengths from Sharvasti in the Avondale Cup.
He is a winner at Te Rapa and should be very competitive here.
Track conditions did not suit Desert Flight in the Wanganui Cup last start and he dropped out to tail the field.
It is never easy under 58kg in this type of race, but he will be on the speed and if allowed too much latitude he could prove difficult to pick up.
Luckshan, racing in the best form of his career, was one who managed to make some ground into fifth from the tail of the field in the York Cup.
Midweek rain put some yield into the Te Rapa track and if some of that survives to raceday it will suit Luckshan admirably.
His statistic of two wins from four starts at Te Rapa is an important one.
There is no lack of emerging talented stayers around at the moment and most of them are targeting the Dunstan Feeds Championship over the Ellerslie carnival.
John Sargent's Young Centaur is one of those rising hopes and he looks a solid prospect in one of the Dunstan feeder events, race eight, tomorrow.
Because of immaturity he can still do a few things wrong, but he won nicely with a perfect run at Ellerslie Racecourse last start.
The slight difficulty this time is that new rider David Walsh has to find him a good trip from a wide gate at the 2100m start.
Sargent has another strong chance in Everswindell earlier in the programme.
It took the Matamata trainer a little time to get the talented mare back to her best, but her huge finish to grab subsequent Te Rapa winner Dezigna at Matamata last start left little doubt she is there now.
