Punters should not be hit with the double surprise that 3yr-olds Raise You Ten and Showemup threw at Gore Guineas punters when they race at Wingatui tomorrow.
The pair ran the quinella in the first leg of the southern 3yr-old triple crown when the 42-to-one shot, Raise You Ten, narrowly downed Showemup who was at odds of more than 50-to-one. One race and two weeks later, they will line up as better than just a couple of outsiders who punters let under their guards, and could be even better suited to a bigger and potentially drier Wingatui surface.
Showemup’s path to the southern guineas races this year has been a tricky one, and possibly why she ended up at such long odds at Gore. She won the first of her two starts as a 2yr-old for Ascot Park trainer Sally McKay, but dropped out with breathing issues at Cromwell in November in her first run this season.
Prior to Gore, the filly had returned to the races twice and was unlucky at Omakau early last month.
"She has had a lot of problems this season. Going into Gore I thought we were getting on top of them, so hopefully we are right, now," McKay said.
The galloper’s huge performance in coming very wide and almost winning at Gore turned her fortunes around and was a relief to her trainer.
"It was a massive run but it was nice to know we were on the right track. We knew she was good enough.She had progressed as the season has gone on, which was especially evident after the Gore effort.
"She has actually thrived since that run because the next day when we worked her she was bucking and kicking and bouncing out of her skin," McKay said.
The extra distance of the Dunedin Guineas (1500m) from her Gore run (1335) and the prospect of a better track should be both well within her grasp, too.
"I think she goes on any going. That is not a problem," McKay said.
Gore Guineas winner Raise You Ten is in a similar position.
A step up in distance on a better track should not bother the horse at all according to his co-trainer, Shane Anderton.
"It doesn’t matter if [the track] improves at all, I don’t think," he said.
Further experience will only help Raise You Ten’s cause and he, too, has trained on well since his last run.
"He is still pretty green, really, when it comes down to it. He seems to have improved since his last run."
Raise You Ten and Showemup will face a slightly different field tomorrow. Favoured runners Midnight Gossip and Don Carlo are absent but Starvoia will back up after running third at Gore.
Impressive last-start Wingatui winners Little Miss and Don’tpokethetiger head the list of newcomers.
