By MIKE DILLON
John Ralph looks at his living room wall when he has doubts about The Message handling the heavy track in the $25,000 Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa tomorrow.
"I was just thinking the same thing myself," said Ralph when we called yesterday to check his confidence in his horse's wet weather ability.
"But I'm looking at the wall and there is a picture of him running 1200m in 1.14.9 when he won his first race at Te Rapa, so the track must have been bad that day."
It is likely they will run slower time tomorrow, but Ralph says The Message has to start his high-profile spring campaign somewhere, and with Linda Ballantyne on board, the horse will start regardless of conditions.
"I really don't think it will worry him too much. His trackwork has been good."
Ralph said he has once again struck a problem he has had with The Message for several seasons - the horse is such a powerful mover his trackwork riders either have trouble restraining him or they underestimate how quickly he is moving.
"I asked the rider today to run 1200m no faster than 1.24 and The Message clocked 1.17 with his rider sitting hard against him.
"Opie Bosson rode him one morning when we were bringing him up and I asked that he run 1000m no quicker than 1.10.
"When Opie brought him back in I said, how quick do you think you went and he said 1.08. I said, would you believe 1.02."
Most horses that can run 1400m in a blinding 1.21, as The Message has, would be hopeless on tomorrow's heavy conditions, but he has rare ability at his best, generally goes well when fresh and is a chance regardless of the footing.
"If he's beaten there will be another day, but he's going for the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate so he's got to race."
Vyner's Lane is no group one Australian horse, but he is a fine local winter sprinter and ability to cope with the conditions may be as important as sheer class at the winning post tomorrow.
While he certainly looked tight and fit winning at Ellerslie last week, Vyner's Lane had not been to the races for two months and cannot help but be that little extra bit fit this time.
He handles all types of winter footing and can keep going strongly in a punishing finish.
If it rains on the day, as predicted, Stylish Prospect is a trifecta chance. She has been struggling with unsuitable sticky and holding tracks and rain to loosen conditions is what she is looking for.
There are two TAB doubles at Te Rapa tomorrow, Races 6-7, 8-9.
Rain on the day would suit Velodium in the first leg of the first double, the Eta Ripples 2000.
His fifth behind Just There is the Taumarunui Cup on this course last start was not a bad after getting a long way back and a looser track would see him harder to beat.
Racing: Track no bar for Message
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