Racing: We Can Say It Now looks filly to beat

We Can Say It Now. Photo / Otago Daily Times

There is little more that can be said about We Can Say It Now.

It was all said before her abortive look at last week's $1 million 2000 Guineas when she was late-scratched because of the heavy track.

We Can Say It Now has always looked a filly of extraordinary ability.

Perhaps the two points worthy of mention here are that before heading to Riccarton We Can Say It Now clearly beat stablemate Twilight Savings in trackwork.

Twilight Savings nearly pulled off the million-dollar race last Saturday - beaten a long neck and half a head - when almost certainly a race short on her preparation, so it makes sense to cross-reference that into saying We Can Say It Now would have gone close had she handled the conditions reasonably last week.

Which, in turn, means on a decent surface this time she is going to be very difficult to contain.

With only the fillies to beat this time she looks an outstanding prospect. The TAB opened her up in Final Field betting at $2.90 and late yesterday she was $3.

Twilight Saving was next best in betting at $6, followed by Banchee on $7, Rememba Howe at $8 and King's Rose at $9.

The No 1 draw looks good on paper for We Can Say It Now, but for a filly that likes to get on with things she would not want to get jammed up along the rail if there was no pace on.

"We are very happy with the way both fillies are going into this race," said co-trainer Murray Baker.

"Twilight Savings has come through her run last week in very good shape.

"And We Can Say It Now has come through her work well this week. Let's hope there's no thunderstorms."

The stable looks fairly safe from that eventuality.

The enigma in the race is last season's champion juvenile Banchee.

After she got back early and finished ninth to We Can Say It Now in the Sarten Memorial at Te Rapa last start, trainer John Sargent said: "I can't wait to get her to 1600m and have her ridden quietly from a good barrier." Sargent gets his wish tomorrow with Banchee drawn gate No 2 from the 1600m start. At her best she would definitely be the horse the two favourites have to beat.

Rememba Howe's two wins have been on rain-affected tracks, although she has placed in all three starts on firm tracks. She fought bravely as usual to be beaten less than one length in fourth place behind Jimmy Choux in last week's big race.