Racing: Trentham dodges rain for big race

Katie Lee will be hoping for a perfect surface on Saturday. Photo / Northern Advocate

Wellington appears to have dodged a bullet with yesterday's almost nationwide rain which against all predictions left the capital practically untouched.

While that will be good news for most of the New Zealand runners in Saturday's $1 million Telegraph Handicap at Trentham, for a change the connections of the three Australian acceptors have been laid back about the prospect of rain.

Connections of Swift Alliance, First Command and Monton have been almost hoping for a bit of rain. All three topline sprinters can manage a bit of moisture.

The predicted heavy rain that was meant to strike Cook Strait and Wellington ended up further south at the top of the South Island.

Wellington was so clear there were no interruptions to play in the New Zealand v Pakistan test at the Basin Reserve.

Even if it rained in Wellington overnight, the forecast is for clearing weather by mid-morning today and cloudy periods right through to the weekend.

With the track rated a good 3 yesterday morning, that should mean a perfect surface for Saturday, in direct contrast to the deluge that descended on Wellington on Telegraph morning a year ago.

Betting ceased with the TAB yesterday morning when the agency removed the futures field from its website and will resume with final field betting when the acceptances are taken at 11am today and the barrier draws are completed.

There was no indication from the TAB last night that there would be a major market change under the final field than the one that existed yesterday morning which was $3.50 Swift Alliance, $6 First Command, $7 Coup Align and Katie Lee, $8 Monton, $10 Vonusti, $12 Atapi, $14 Mufhasa, $16 Twilight Savings and $21 Eileen Dubh.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Swift Alliance is interestingly by Don Eduardo, who needed every metre of the 2400m to win a Derby, yet sits here as the sire of the favourite for a million-dollar sprint.

Genetics can be fascinating and will help drive buyers at next week's New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka yearling sales.

At his last start Swift Alliance won the Razor Sharp at Randwick under 60kg on December 18. He has 59.5kg this time.

Swift Alliance has won eight of his 14 starts and A$547,650.

He is also very capable in the wet, having won three races on slow footing and two in the heavy, one of them in a slow 1.14.1 1200m.

First Command likes a track that has just a little yield in it.

Melbourne jockey Dwayne Dunn, who rides again on Saturday, declared the Caulfield track was a little too firm for First Command when he lumped 59kg and ran 1200m in 1.8.38 to win two weeks ago.

He has 58.5kg in the Telegraph.

Monton has won in both slow and heavy in Sydney and looked to be a little scratchy on pulling up on the firm surface at Ellerslie for the Railway.

One of those desperate for a dry track on Saturday is Debbie Rogerson, co-trainer of Katie Lee, the joint third favourite who will be ridden by Corey Brown.

$1M TELEGRAPH

* Wellington missed practically all of yesterday's rain.

* Improving weather to just cloudy is predicted through to the weekend, which should result in a good surface on Saturday.

* Connections of smart mare Katie Lee are desperate for a firm track.