Racing: When gate No 15 is welcome

Richard Yuill managed to check himself just in time from saying "You're kidding" when he saw the barrier draws for tomorrow's $100,000 Waikato Gold Cup.

He'd been thinking about barrier draws since Filante Etoile had her chances extinguished by the extreme outside barrier draw in last week's $150,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Avondale Cup.

Yuill did a double-take when he read that Filante Etoile had copped the No 15 gate from 16 runners this time.

Then he realised a wide gate at Te Rapa's 2400m starting point is a whole lot less vicious than coming from wide out at 2200m at Avondale.

Rider Grant Cooksley has the entire length of the Te Rapa home straight to slot Filante Etoile into a favourable position before the first bend.

And he'll be trying very hard.

Cooksley rarely makes excuses, but he was adamant that the barrier draw cost Filante Etoile the Avondale Cup.

"If she draws four or five she wins," he said as he walked back to the Avondale jockeys' room.

Filante Etoile will not need any back luck - she has a much tougher opponent in Kerry O'Reilly to beat this time.

After his narrow defeat of subsequent Avondale Cup winner Creil in the Counties Cup on this track last start, Kerry O'Reilly will be at the absolute peak of his form for this.

The classy Matamata stayer is difficult to beat over any middle distance, but the 2400m this time is probably his optimum trip.

As tough as the Avondale Cup effort looked on Filante Etoile, Yuill says the mare has flown through it.

"If anything she's better for that run.

"She'd done the hard yards going into it and was fit and ready for a tough hit-out.

"I think she looks better."

Jim Gibbs is delighted with Kerry O'Reilly's condition, but is a little anxious about the weather.

Rain on Tuesday night saw the Te Rapa track at 3.2 on Wednesday and a fine day yesterday had course manager Neil Treweek estimating it had come back to between 2.7 and 2.8.

"If there is no further rain it will come back to good, but some is forecast for tomorrow," said Treweek.

Gibbs is hoping the forecasters are wrong.

"He's got to have firm ground. Te Rapa is a good track when there is a bit of rain around and it probably won't get any worse than 3.2.

"I'd probably risk running him at that, but it wouldn't want to get any worse."

Rain is the best possible news for the connections of veteran topweight El Duce, who won this race two years ago. He showed he has come up well this preparation with his first-up handy third to Millennium over an unsuitable 1600m at Ellerslie on Melbourne Cup day.

He was then outpaced in a sharp Counties Cup and is much better placed here, even though the 58kg is a big ask in this line-up.

The way Gorgeous George rolls along in front puts him in with a sound upset chance.

The 58kg got to him late in the race when Punt Higher ran past at Avondale last week and he will appreciate the drop to 52kg, even if the class of opponent is well up.

Almost forgotten in the excitement of the Kerry O'Reilly-Creil tight finish in the Counties Cup was Lord Asterix's solid run for third. He is a dour type who is suited to the 2400m.

WAIKATO CUP

* Kerry O'Reilly is primed for another big effort, but trainer Jim Gibbs is concerned about the weather.

* The Matamata stayer performs best on very firm ground.

* A wide barrier draw cost Filante Etoile dearly in the Avondale Cup. She has drawn wide again, but the Te Rapa 2400m starting point is a lot kinder.