Racing: Time to cover Ellerslie track

Gaston might have earned a start in the Stradbroke Handicap after his Ellerslie win. Photo / Dean Purcell

Derby Day at Ellerslie brings up an issue this column has previously addressed - track covers.

Why not?

Outside of cost - which might be the biggest consideration - what is to prevent a track like Ellerslie developing a retractable cover for its course proper?

Without attempting an engineering degree, why couldn't an automatically-operated metal or heavy plastic cover be extended up on an angle from the inside running, rain falling back to a drain just inside the rail.

Yes, that might be costly, but so is a saturated raceday like last Saturday - New Zealand's richest race - and punters who won't have a go because of the conditions.

If you had refunded all Derby-day bets at 7am on raceday and asked punters to re-invest, the turnover would have been half as much.

Abandoned racedays are also costing the industry a fortune.

One of the main problems would be who plays God.

If you had covers, who decides what the footing should be - when do the covers come off?

Make no mistake, that would be a bigger bunfight than you could imagine.

But if that's the cost of staging racing on decent tracks that punters have confidence in, so be it.

No, you weren't going to get Matamata trainer Ken Kelso involved in a discussion about Magic Briar's 1000 Guineas at Riccarton.

It took Kelso three months to get over the filly being relegated from second to fifth under controversial circumstances.

Now he refuses to revisit it.

Someone tried on Saturday, moments after Magic Briar easily disposed of the opposition in the Starcraft at Arrowfield Mr Tiz Trophy.

However, Kelso is much more interested in looking ahead and there's plenty to look at.

Like getting Magic Briar the group one rating in the New Zealand Bloodstock Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes at Te Aroha on April 9 that she unluckily missed out on at Riccarton.

"I think she should get the 1600m," said Kelso.

Why not? The filly missed out only by three-quarters of a length in the 1600m 1000 Guineas and looks a different and much stronger horse now.

Magic Briar had more than three months away from racing when given a break after Riccarton.

December, January and February are the months during which 3-year-olds can leap forward in development and Magic Briar looks to be one of those who has.

It showed in the strength she produced to sprint from an awkward midfield and wide position on the home turn.

She simply powered past the others, eliminating any chance of excuses.

"I think Te Aroha will suit her," predicted her trainer.

"The weight-for-age probably doesn't suit ideally, but she can race handy and you have to do that at Te Aroha."

Kelso rates his filly very highly. So highly, he mentioned Saturday's A$500,000 Kewney Stakes at Flemington for 3-year-old fillies.

"I'm not saying I considered going with this filly, because I noticed that race only this morning, but it shows what is available for a filly like her in Australia."

The Kewney went to New Zealand anyway, the Waikato Stud-owned Do Ra Mi, ridden by Michael Walker, came from last and swamping the Mike Moroney-trained favourite Brazilian Pulse.

Best act on Saturday - the bloke in a red dress and high heels straddling a hobby horse which jumped the birdcage fence and galloped past the podium as chief executive Chris Weaver introduced the finalist in the Best Dressed comp.

At lease we think it was a bloke under the blonde wig.

No one was asking.

Not even the security guard who did the herding to prevent a repeat.

One of the next best acts was Gaston's stunning finish from an impossible position in the home straight.

If he isn't the most improved horse in racing at the moment you want to back whatever is.

Co-trainer Debbie Rogerson believes Gaston's dramatic improvement came following a break after racing at the Riccarton November carnival.

"Quite a few of the horses that went to Riccarton from the north ended up with travel sickness and this horse is one of them.

"I don't know if they picked up a bug from somewhere."

Rogerson said she will give Gaston one more New Zealand run and if he maintains his form she will set him for the Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on June 11.

His finishing sprint on Saturday was genuinely dramatic.