Central stables ready to strike

BY TIM BARTON

The empire might strike back at Ellerslie tomorrow.

Central districts stables failed to win a race over the first two days of the Auckland Cup meeting but will provide a formidable challenge in the two Group I features tomorrow.

Cellarmaster and Jimmy Choux are leading prospects for the $200,000 Diamond Stakes (1200m) and Vosne Romanee and MacO'Reilly will be tough to beat in the $200,000 New Zealand Stakes.

Few central districts horses were in action on the first two days but Tip The Wink and Ekstra Dane were a nose away from winning last weekend and Vosne Romanee's stablemate Booming was the first New Zealand horse home in the Auckland Cup.

In addition, central districts stables have had a big year at the top level, winning half of the 16 Group I races run this season.

The Australians have claimed two, including Wednesday's Auckland Cup, leaving six for northern stables.

Palmerston North rider Opie Bosson has been the most successful Group I jockey for the season, with three wins, and will partner Cellarmaster and Vosne Romanee tomorrow.

Bosson has also had a barren Ellerslie carnival to date, with five placings but no wins over the first two days.

However, he is poised to make amends tomorrow with a book comprising The Pooka, Our Star Pupil, The Heckler, Pocket Diary, Cellarmaster, Top Echelon, Vosne Romanee and Fashion Rocks.

Bosson, who has recorded 100 black type wins in New Zealand, is third on the premiership, with 85 wins, but has been the most successful rider in terms of stake earnings, with his mounts earning $2.23 million this season.

Vosne Romanee is attempting to complete a spectacular weight-for-age treble, comprising the Kelt Stakes, Zabeel Classic and New Zealand Stakes and a win tomorrow would put the Awapuni galloper right in contention for the Horse of the Year title.

He has not returned a dividend in his four other starts this season but has had genuine excuses.

Luck in the running or track conditions counted against him in three of those starts and he needed the run when fourth over 1600m at Otaki last month. That was his first race for two months but he still found the line well.

Trainer Jeff Lynds has been happy with Vosne Romanee's work since Otaki and the seven-year-old looks the horse to beat tomorrow.

He was having his first run right-handed when he tackled the Zabeel but exploded away from Red Ruler, who has not been beaten since.

Vosne Romanee might also get a crack at the Group I Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) in Sydney, on April 24, if he races well tomorrow.

He has never raced in Australia and Lynds to keen to give him some overseas experience, as a prelude to the Melbourne spring carnival.

Cellarmaster, like Vosne Romanee, has won his only previous start at Ellerslie, beating Banchee and Everlasting in the Group III Eclipse Stakes on January 1.

Since then, he has been the runner-up to Jimmy Choux in the Group II Wakefield Stakes at Trentham and finished third in the Group III Waikato Stakes at New Plymouth.

He was a $3.40 favourite at New Plymouth but lost no caste after having a rocky run. He was caught three-wide after a tardy beginning and also got a bump in the straight.

"He just got a terrible run," Bosson said. "He's a nice horse and should be hard to beat [this weekend]."

Cellarmaster was having his first start for a month at New Plymouth and has made good progress since. "He's pretty fit and they will know he's there," trainer Kevin Gray said.

"He's done really well and I would love to get two-year-old of the year with him."

Gray is in no danger of becoming bored this weekend. He will also have runners at Otaki today and at Waverley on Sunday, before flying to Sydney on Sunday night.

He is heading across the Tasman to look after stable star Daffodil, who arrives in Sydney on Monday morning.

Daffodil will tackle the A$400,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill next weekend with the A$2.2 million BMW (2400m) a fortnight later. "She galloped a nice strong mile this morning and looks a picture," Gray said.

- © Fairfax NZ News