Racing: Track Never Ending headache

Track conditions will prove a major factor in the chances of up and coming Taranaki sprinter Never Ending in the feature race at New Plymouth tomorrow.

The Magic Of Sydney four-year-old contests the $35,000 La Nuova Apparelmaster Dash (1200m) at the Taranaki Racing Club's meeting.

Never Ending has won three of four starts of which the latest was an easy victory over 1200m at Riccarton last week.

The Riccarton race carried a maximum rating of 85, which is basically the equivalent of a mid-week progressive grade event under the old classification system.

Never Ending looks a versatile customer with his three wins ranging on tracks from good to heavy but, according to his part-owner and trainer Bob Baker, the horse dislikes going that is sticky and holding.

Baker blames a sticky track on the first day of the Riccarton carnival for the horse's one and only failure.

"He just didn't handle the track at all that day," Baker said. "It was holding and he over-raced a bit, too, which didn't help either.

"It rained heavily the day before the second day and loosened it up and he loved it."

Baker said the New Plymouth race - with it's attractive prizemoney of $35,000 - looked a suitable option considering the horse appeared to have come through his trip back home in good order. "He's thrived and he is a better horse now than when he went south."

The New Plymouth track was heavy yesterday but with fine weather forecast to continue through to raceday it should improve.

- NZPA