Racing: Thrilling double feature on Counties card

Five To Midnight (centre) is a big chance in the $100,000 Counties Cup at Pukekohe today.

An increasing amount of firm-track form over the last month or so should have an impact on selecting winners in the lead-up to holiday racing — hopefully.

There is an abundance of solid form races to chose from at Pukekohe today and a retrospective look at the nine-race card should prove valuable going forward. The wide open spaces of the Pukekohe straight allows most horses their chance.

A value each-way prospect in Race 2 is the enigmatic Waipipi Lad (No5, R2). He has beaten home better fields than this, even if his form is slightly mixed, the issue this time being the outside barrier of the 12 runners.

It will be interesting to see the tactics employed by Sam Spratt, who enjoyed one of her career best days at Riccarton last Saturday. As with most races on the card there are plenty of chances with Snapshot (No3), Camino Rocoso (No6) and Skyweka (No9) all with multiple betting appeals and Woodsman (No2) has upset prospects.

Two-year-old races before Christmas can be tricky affairs when you have race form assessed against trial performances. Few have been as impressive trialling lately as the O'Sullivan/Scott debut runner Autumn Wild (R3, No7), plucked expensively from the Sydney sales. She has won both her trials and while on paper the No7 barrier looks to offer no favours, she has left the machine pretty fast in both trial appearances. Flaunt It Girl (No5) comes out of the No 12 gate, which will test her. She looked good when close up third in her second appearance at Ellerslie last time. Experience is on her side. Pinot Grey (No4) is the only winner in the field of the handful that have raced, but her barrier is also not ideal. Our Beeskees (No1) displayed ability on debut.

Love Affair (No9, R4) will be one of the stars by season's end. She has won three from four and has had a trial to get her ready to resume here. Her widish barrier is not ideal, but she has remarkable ability to run a fast late sectional in her races and the long Pukekohe home straight will assist her to bring that into play. Back her and follow your money. Devise (No4) was one of our better 3-year-old fillies last season and resumed with an excellent victory at Ellerslie a few weeks back. She will also be suited by this track. The Justice League (No1) and Marky Mark (No2) are well capable in this grade.

Dropping back in distance when racing around the top grades is never easy, but Cote D'Or (No4, R5) will give it a great shot. The classy, well bred mare had a tough race coming from an impossible position to win the Matamata Cup and trainers Bev and Ken Kelso eased her to give her time to recover. The pair say Cote D'Or will improve with this, but she should retain sufficient residual fitness to make her mark in the drop back from 1600m to 1400m. Unquestionably the Baker/Forsman pair of Francaletta (No1) and Deals In Heels (No7) will be in the party. A shower of rain would assist both, particularly Deals In Heels. Totally ignore the paper form of Coldplay (No3). She was stiff first time of asking this preparation then struck unsuitable wet tracks in the first two legs of the Hastings Triple Crown.

She is all class and well up to this.

Race 6 is not easy, but Comin' Through (No2, R6) did enough when third when resuming at Ellerslie last start to suggest he can win this. He looked good, even without winning, at the Brisbane winter carnival and could be in for a big preparation. Excalibur (No7) will quickly need a middle distance, but should be fresh enough to make a showing over 1600m on this big track.

Plenty of winning chances in the $100,000 SSangyong Counties Cup and Five To Midnight (No4, R7) is one of them. The three runs he has had this preparation should now have him ready to produce his best form and that would make him a serious threat. Stablemates St Emilion (No2) and Maygrove (No1) are in with big chances. Both fight hard and have each been around the money most of the current preparation. Include Zambezi Warrior (No7) in multiples, especially if a shower or two arrive.

On surface value Heroic Valour (No3, R8) was fractionally disappointing when resuming at Te Rapa, but he probably needed the run. He is reported to have worked well since and rates highly, even if he has drawn a touch awkward. Ferrando (No6) has real talent and Go Nicholas (No7) and Fully Funded (No1) have claims.

Difficult to make a case against any runner in the last, which makes it a great get-out stakes event. Howabowdat (No4, R9) did well for second at Ellerslie last time after sitting wide from an outside gate. Racing here will suit a lot better. Lovers Lane (No13), Repo Bay (No10) and Bluetwentytwo (No1) are musts for multiples.