It will be hard out 457m chasing action during the second Christmas Eve Waikato meeting where a pair of 457m heats will decide the finalists for both the $20,826 Farmlands Waikato Classic, plus the $10,245 Waikato Cup which will be decided on January 5.
Pictured: Last year’s classy Waikato Classic winner Thrilling Boris
Here’s a look Group 2 Farmlands Waikato Classic heat contenders with their respective TAB Futures market quotes – win option 1554, Top Three option 1555
Farmlands Waikato Classic (Group 2) heat 1, race 5
1 Opawa Rooster $9 & $2.50: He’s giving away a slice of class to his rivals being C2 graded. In saying that this bloke owns plenty of talent as we saw when he delivered his slick 30.08s Addington C1 520m win on Tuesday.
2 Pat Tama $14 & $4: He owns known early pace and he can put himself straight into contention by using that asset from his kind draw. It is a tactic that he must use here.
3 Avenger Bale $4.50 & $1.80: The recent New Zealand Cup favourite (he ran fourth) warmed up for this assignment when dead heating for second in his last start Ascot Park 457m outing, which is a similarly shaped track to Cambridge.. He finished just a half length behind a classy chaser there.
4 No Time Toulouse $41 & $11: She dropped back to C3 when she was cut out of third at the Manawatu Raceway over 457m three races ago. She delivered another 520m fourth at Hatrick when running out her C4 nominations. She then led and was run by 0.75 of a length when contesting a Manawatu C3 457m event on Monday.
5 Bigtime Liam $51 & $13: He also holds a current C3 grading, which saw him pressing on stoutly for his last Hatrick 520m third in that grade. He’s facing a tough task here being on track debut from a poor draw.
6 Bigtime Mia $61 & $16: She does hold an open class assessment and she debuted in that class when finishing in the midfield over 457m at the Manawatu Raceway in her last outing. She must jump straight onto the early pace here.
7 Bigtime Eve $41 & $11: She led her rivals into the big, long Manawatu straight from where she was cut back by a two length margin by her more illustrious kennelmate Bigtime Paddy last Monday in a C4 457m event. She must adopt those same tactics here.
8 Bigtime Caleb $18 & $4.50: This C4 graded chaser has placed in four of his five races from this trap, while he has also compiled exactly the same figures for his 457m track stats at this venue. He owns a solid finish.
Reserves
9 Tullabung Googar $61 & $16: He arrives into this event holding a C2 grading after claiming his last start Manukau 30.64s C1 527m win. More concerning for him here is his three 457m misses from three races on this track.
10 Bigtime Forest $101 & $26: He’s a promising up and coming chaser, who is another chaser currently sitting within the C2 chasing ranks. Take a look at him in the race one 457m event if he doesn’t get a race start here (this meeting).
Farmlands Waikato Classic (Group 2) heat 1 contenders (from left): Pat Tama; Avenger Bale; Bigtime Caleb
Farmlands Waikato Classic (Group 2) heat 2, race 6
1 Bigtime Levi $8 & $2.50: This known powerful finisher arrives into this heat on the back of a last start Manawatu 457m fall. He does own tidy stats from this trap, however he is a renowned slow starter which is a concern at this level of racing. He is likely to rattle home late.
2 Bigtime Paddy $6 & $2: The Group 1 Waterloo Cup 527m winner was downgraded back to C4 when missing a stake in his three Victorian races. He returned to finish fourth in the Spion Rose Cup final at Group 1 level which was followed by a pair of C4 520m and 457m wins. He won the Manawatu Cup over 457m prior to his Australian campaign.
3 Beautiful Boy $11 & $3.20: He is another chaser who has just bounced back into the C5 chasing ranks. He did so stylishly by winning his C4 375m sprint last Thursday which was followed by his Sunday Manukau C4 527m win. He owns early pace which is an asset he must use at trap rise here.
4 Allen Ablett $4.80 & $1.90: He emphatically won the Group 1 Spion Rose Cup over 520m in his last race day outing, clocking a very smart 29.88s when doing so. His two 457m races on the similarly shaped Ascot Park yielded him a pair of wins. He commands obvious respect for his track debut here.
5 Bigtime McDaddy $26 & $7: He made his track debut here last Thursday where a slow start proved to be rather costly when contesting a C4 457m event. He was then denied a clear early racing passage when backing up over 457m at the Manawatu Raceway on Monday. A combination of those efforts, plus this lousy draw suggests he’s up against it here.
6 Me Jane $26 & $7: She received no favours in the Spion Rose Cup final when she was shouldered out of the way when she was handy to the pace on the first turn. She then chased home her smart kennelmate Allegro Gun over 457m next up, and then she completed her preparation for this heat when after showing up early, she became tangled up in midfield traffic when making her track debut over 457m here.
7 Edge Of Town $26 & $7: He’s holds a current C3 grading which suggests he’s going to find it a tad tough for his track debut assignment here. He has won over this trip on Ascot Park (C1 in 26.46s) and he travels north after delivering an on the pace Forbury Park C3 545m second on Tuesday.
8 Dirk Bale $5.50 & $1.90: He arrives here for his track debut appearance on the back of his four length second to his litter and kennelmate Allen Ablett in the recent Spion Rose Cup final. This bloke owns a fair amount of early pace and he can make things rather interesting for a long way here by using that asset.
Reserves
9 Bigtime JayJay $61 & $16: He downgraded from C3 to lead a Manawatu C1/2 457m field into the straight from where he was run down by 1.5 lengths last Monday. That says he’ll face a tough task if he gains a race start here.
10 Barwon Annie $101 & $26: Her last outing at this venue was last on December 14 where she delivered a 4.25 length C1/2 457m second. She was then held in the midfield pack when contesting a C2 Manukau 527m event on Thursday.
Farmlands Waikato Classic (Group 2) heat 2 contenders (from left): Bigtime Paddy; Beautiful Boy; Allen Ablett;
Waikato Cup Heats
Waikato Cup heat 1, race 3
1 Ride Ain’t Over: He’s a powerful chaser who isn’t exactly the quickest away from the traps. That’s the concern for him here, however he impressively won from this trap when finishing strongly from the rear group at Hatrick over 520m three races ago.
2 Tom Tee: That was gutsy Forbury Park Tuesday 545m head second this bloke produced when resuming racing. He had his issues prior to that which led to him being scratched from the New Zealand Cup final. He owns an abundance of class.
3 Quistis Bale: She continues to be sighted doing her best work at the business end of her C4 races as seen in her latest 520m and 457m outings. She has no option but to get herself handier to the early pace in what is her track debut race.
4 Light ‘em Jax: He has been compiling a very respective 457m record at this venue which includes his slick 25.31s best 457m winning time. He produced another tidy effort when taking out his 457m event in 25.49s in his last outing here.
5 Nangar Rock: You can expect this fella to have benefited from his stylish NZ and track debut 25.54s 457m December 14 win. That suggests that you can expect a real competitive effort from him here.
6 Map My Run: He was held in the rear group throughout when running out his C3 nominations over 457m at the Manawatu Raceway on Monday. He had previously won his C3 457m assignment on this track in 25.86s. This is tougher task here.
7 Ridin’ Shotgun: This bloke simply oozes class. He is a powerful chaser who was last presented back on October 26 when winning a C3 457m event in 25.58s which was a personal best time. He will be ready to deliver a potent fresh up effort here.
8 Westworld: He returned to racing to deliver a pair of comprehensive Manukau 527m wins which included his strong 30.62s win in the recent NZRS Advanced final. He placed the only previous occasion he jumped away from this trap. He must position himself up handy to the early pace here.
Reserves
9 Zipping Arnold: He found himself jammed up in traffic when he stepped up to C4 racing over 375m in his last race here. He had previously won a C3 375m sprint here in a tidy 21.06s.
10 Unbeknown: He has just been relegated out of the open class chasing ranks when missing a stake in C5 375m sprints around here. His only 457m win at this venue was delivered in 26.20s.
Waikato Cup heat 1 contenders includes (From left): Tom Tee, Ridin' Shotgun, Westworld
Waikato Cup heat 2, race 4
1 Allegro Gun: He’s a potent on the pace chaser who has drawn perfectly here. He owns a tidy 25.41s best winning 457m time around here. He also owns a Group 2 457m title which he claimed on the Manawatu track.
2 Spare Some Time: Last season’s Group 1 520m winner finally returned to the winners circle when he delivered his last start 30.54s C2/3 Hatrick 520m win. His sole 457m win on this track came in 25.76s.
3 Zipping Vito: He settled just behind the pace setters where he remained throughout for his last start close up C3/4 527m Manukau third last Sunday. He needs to improve on his best 25.74s winning 457m time here if he’s going to advance through to the final.
4 Timmy Trumpet: This ageless chaser knows his way around this circuit blindfolded. 47 457m race (27 wins) confirms those thoughts. He was given a brief freshen up after his recent Manawatu 457m misses. You can expect his normal competitive effort here.
5 Bigtime Power: He has been provided with a rough draw here after he delivered his C3 26.32s Manawatu 457m win last Monday. He missed in his only previous 457m outing on this track.
6 Letron James: He’s a vastly experienced perennial Group 1 finalist who contested the Spion Rose Cup final two races ago. He hasn’t won at this venue which says he must hop straight onto the early pace here.
7 Thrilling Raider: He’s a proven chaser at the elite level, however his railing tendencies is a concern for him from this trap. This recent Spion Rose Cup finalist is smart enough to overcome that and he brings a tidy 25.45s best winning 457m time into this heat.
8 Opawa Jimbo: He is making his track debut outing here for his new trainers after enduring a luckless last start Addington 520m race when he ran out his C4 nominations when jumping from this trap. He must push forward during the early rush for positions here.
Reserves
9 He Can Yodel: He checked out 457m racing for the first time since he crossed the Tasman when he only just missed a podium position at the Manawatu Raceway on Monday. He was downgrading from open class then.
10 Oscar Tron: He is a proven 457m chaser at this venue who is sighted at his best when he controls the pace. He must use that tactic if racing here after he was held up in traffic over 457m here in his last race. Take a look at him in race 9 at this meeting if he’s not racing in this heat.
Waikato Cup heat 2 contenders includes (from left): Allegro Gun; Timmy Trumpet; Opawa Jimbo
By Peter Fenemor
