Racing: Timing everything for top elect

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Empress Elect ‘still on the way up’ and favoured at Ellerslie today after finding form at Hawkes Bay carnival.

Empress Elect's homecoming will be crowned at Ellerslie today with a top three finish.

She will have the opportunity to significantly boost her future broodmare value with a bold showing in the Group 3 Sofitel Luxury Hotels Stakes.

"She's owned by Wentwood Grange, our next door neighbours, and they would love some black type for her and I think she's right up to that," trainer Lee Somervell said. "She's a lovely mare and she's still on the way up."

A multiple winner from the Sydney stable of David Payne prior to her return to Cambridge, the 6-year-old was placed on all three days of the Hawkes Bay carnival before she finished ninth in the Listed Jakkalberry Classic last time out.

"She got too far back at Rotorua," Somervell said. "She's got to be up on the pace and she's got a draw to suit her at Ellerslie. We did have her in the Rating 85 race and then saw this race was light on nominations so we decided to have a go."

Somervell only has 14 horses in work, but the emphasis is very much on quality with three members of his team heading south on Thursday for Group assignments at Riccarton.

Stradivarius will run in the Group 1 Sothys NZ 2000 Guineas on Saturday while Celebrity Miss will line up in the Listed Gold Club Metropolitan ahead of the Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup on the closing day of the meeting.

In between, Addictive Habit will defend his Coupland's Bakeries Mile title on Wednesday week.