Wellington Guineas: Horse trainer Stephen Marsh thinks Tardelli can win despite track

Trainer Stephen Marsh doesn't think a heavy track will stop Tardelli winning the $250,000 Wellington Cup.

• Stephen Marsh believes Tardelli can win the $250,000 Wellington Cup despite potentially heavy track conditions.
• Marsh also has three fillies in the Guineas, with Tardelli considered his best chance.
• Lance O’Sullivan’s filly Sethito is expected to perform well, even on a wetter track.

Trainer Stephen Marsh may not get the exact track he wants at Trentham tomorrow but he doesn’t think it will stop Tardelli from winning the $250,000 Wellington Guineas.

A cloud, quite literally, hangs over the huge Trentham day and its half a card of black-type races, with the track rated heavy on Wednesday and while the weather has improved there could be more showers coming.

That will provide an interesting test for horses who have mainly been asked to race on good tracks during a remarkably consistent racing summer.

Just how most of the fillies in the 2400m NZ Oaks would handle any track conditions that make it even more testing is anybody’s guess, but at least punters betting on that classic have to ask themselves only one question: will Leica Lucy handle it and still win?

The $250,000 Wellington Guineas has far more moving parts, bringing together 3-year-olds from a variety of form lines like NZB Kiwi unlucky runner Sethito and Tardelli, who won what was effectively the NZB Kiwi consolation that day, the Windsor Park Trophy.

Tardelli is one of four in the Guineas for Cambridge trainer Marsh and he thinks the big son of I Am Invincible can win even if the rain returns and the track gets testing.

“I am not saying he will love it but he is a big strong boy so his strength will help,” says Marsh.

“He hit the line really hard at Ellerslie and he is probably ready for 1600m but the 1400m at Trentham will be testing enough, and if there is any give in the track that could make it feel like a 1500m or even 1600m.

“He hasn’t missed a beat since Ellerslie and we think he is a pretty good horse.”

Marsh also has three fillies in the Guineas – Sexy And I Moet, She’s Untouchable and Dramatic Miss – and suggests they can all perform well.

“Sexy And I Moet and She’s Untouchable both raced well in strong company last start so they can get some of it but Tardelli is still our best chance.” One trainer who wouldn’t be perturbed if Trentham comes up wetter than some would like is Lance O’Sullivan, who co-trains Sethito.

The high-class filly was luckless in the NZB Kiwi and drops back 100m in distance here before she potentially heads to Australia to chase black type there.

“She should have gone a lot closer in the Kiwi and she will be right in this,” says O’Sullivan.

“I don’t think a wetter track would bother her – in fact, she might enjoy it. So she is going to be hard to beat.”

Sethito has also drawn very wide so it will be interesting to see if she uses her early speed to roll forward or, if the track starts to cut up, she settles further and tracks wider in the straight.

“We also have Cheaha in the Guineas and he could go a big race, but the filly is our better chance.”

O’Sullivan and Scott have talented mare Lux Libertas in the Lightning Handicap but say she is only likely to get on the transporter south today if the track is in the softer to even heavy range.

Marsh has Glamour Tycoon in the same race and rates her an each-way chance in the 1200m missing our big-name sprinters.

Marsh warns Herald readers to look out for his two debutantes in the opener at Pukekohe today on a rare Auckland Thoroughbred Racing Friday meeting.

“They [Little Black Dress and Marzino] are both really nice fillies who have won at the trials and should go good races, albeit they are in against a race winner and others with more experience.”