Lightly-raced mare might be Top Shelf and the one to beat at Ellerslie
TODAY’S NZ RACING
- Ellerslie, Balmerino Stakes Day, first race 12.20pm.
- Wingatui, first race 11.30am.
Top Shelf is used to being thrown in at the deep end.
So co-trainer Sam Bergerson has no concerns about her stepping up to take on two former Horse of the Year winners in the $150,000 Balmerino Stakes at Ellerslie today.
Ellerslie’s meeting may also be a chance for locals to get a Melbourne Cup vibe without crossing the Tasman but it still hosts some serious racing, with the Balmerino boasting El Vencedor, Sharp N Smart, Crocetti and weight-carrying king Diamond Jak.
But even with them all engaged in the Group 3, the emerging Top Shelf is a $2.30 favourite.
That is awfully short for a mare who has only won four races but Top Shelf has hardly had a conventional career.
She ran second in the Group 2 Ellis Classic at Te Rapa as a maiden, which was the only other time she has raced over today’s 2000m, while she finished second in the Manco Easter last season as a two-win mare.
“We have always thought a lot of her,” explains Bergerson.
“That is why she raced at Group 2 at just her third start but she had a setback after finishing second in that, which is why people haven’t seen more of her.
“Then she came back last season and we never really found the right 2000m race but we actually think that is her ideal distance so this race looks perfect at this stage.”
While Top Shelf loses the weight advantage she has used winning lately, under today’s weight-for-age conditions many of her best rivals are struggling for their strongest form, so she may have found the right race to take them on.
“She loves Ellerslie and after this we are hoping to aim her at the Zabeel Classic [Group 1, Boxing Day] so we expect her to go very well tomorrow.”
Two-time defending Balmerino Stakes champion El Vencedor should be a big improver today as he usually takes at least a couple of starts to trim the belly up and being back to weight-for-age suits him.
He also gets Craig Grylls aboard so looks likely to be heading forward as usual from barrier 9.
Bergerson is already looking forward to Saturday, when stable rep Asturia will be the hot favourite for the NZ 1000 Guineas as NZ Cup week starts at Riccarton.
“She will have her final piece of work here on Tuesday morning then fly to Christchurch very early on Wednesday but we are very happy with her.”
Bergerson and training partner Mark Walker will have three starters in the 2000 Guineas on Saturday week and they could be joined by Spellbound (R5, No 1) who starts in a strong 3-year-old race at Ellerslie today for trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood.
He has been impressive in both his wins this spring so his $7 price today looks a good each-way play for punters even though he carries topweight against some debut winners with big reputations.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.