Racing: Track conditions will decide if Garrard gets a run

Don't be concerned if Garrard is scratched from the $100,000 Queen Elizabeth Handicap at Ellerslie today.

Senior co-trainer Chris Wood will decide on race morning if the five-year-old will start in the 2400 metre event.

"A lot will depend on the track conditions if Garrard starts on Boxing Day," said Wood. "If the track is classified as not much worse than easy then he'll be starting otherwise I'll scratch him.

"I've also nominated him for the Nathan's Handicap at Ellerslie on Tuesday and to be honest it wouldn't worry me if he didn't have a race start before the [$350,000] New Zealand Herald Auckland Cup.

"He's very fit at the moment and he's been training impressively.

"I was happy with his effort in the Waikato Cup where he finished fourth behind Singing Star.

"He settled handy and really had to lead the chase after St Reims who set some solid sectional times in front.

"He basically gave the first three place-getters a tow into the race when he swept forward three and four wide over the closing 600 metres.

"I think he's a horse better ridden when he's following other horses into a race and hopefully that'll happen in the Queen Elizabeth and Auckland Cup."

Wood is looking across the Tasman after the Cup with Garrard. He and wife Colleen have a satellite stable in Melbourne.

"We've nominated Garrard for the Wellington Cup but that was just in case we had bad luck during the summer carnival at Ellerslie.

"I'd really like to take him over to Melbourne for a brief campaign early next year to give him the experience of racing in Australia.

"I think next season that he'll develop into the ideal type of horse to take to Melbourne and we'll be looking at races like the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup.

"There's so many racing opportunities in Melbourne during the spring carnival for a horse of his class and the stake money is massive."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY