Distance no bother for Feel The Rush

By Jonny Turner

Riverton trainer Kelvin Tyler is hoping for a repeat of his last trip to Trentham when he lines up Feel The Rush in the New Zealand Oaks today.

Tyler and daughter Aimee, with whom he trains in partnership, scored a big win in the Whyte Handicap with durable winter galloper Flying Sardine on their trip to Trentham last July.

Tyler is realistic about his chances of claiming the group 1 New Zealand Oaks trophy when Feel The Rush starts at $51 odds this afternoon.

What the trainer is certain about though is that his filly will relish 2400m.

"They are going to have to do their best to beat us; we won’t be throwing out the white flag.

"She has been crying out for distance since the spring. She could probably go two miles [3200m].

"She is a deadset stayer — we are a bit excited, but cautiously excited."

Feel The Rush will jump from barrier 6 for rider Kylie Williams today.

The 3yr-old goes into today’s race after chasing Out Of The Park home in her track-record-breaking win at Wingatui last month.

Tyler said her effort for eighth had improved Feel The Rush.

"She has really tightened up since her run at Wingatui. And she has travelled up here really well. I couldn’t be happier with her."

Cambridge trainer Shaune Richie could not be happier with the physical condition of race favourite Jennifer Eccles.

However, he is far from ecstatic about his filly drawing the widest possible gate in barrier 19 with rider Jason Waddell.

"We would obviously have loved to have got some cover with her and that looks unlikely now," Richie told NZ Racing Desk.

"How Jason elects to rider her will be as interesting for me as anyone else in the grandstand.

"I have no intention of telling Jason whether to go forward, or back, or what to do.

"I will leave that up to him and I dare say, knowing Jason well, that he is likely to make that call when she leaves the barrier."

Like most of today’s field, there is a question mark over whether Jennifer Eccles can run out a strong 2400m.

Richie said the filly’s recent work suggested she could.

"She is in superb order. Her gallop on [last] Saturday was probably the best work she has ever given us to indicate that she is likely to run out the mile and a-half [2400m].

"She is a brilliant filly and we are aware that we are likely to be taking her out of her comfort zone and she will probably never be asked to run a mile and a-half again in her career."

Jeniffer Eccles ($1.95) and Loire ($8.50) have dominated Oaks betting this week.

Loire will attempt to win her second group 1 title in the event.

Jennifer Eccles has beaten her main rival in her past two starts at Hastings and Te Rapa.

Loire’s trainer, Tony Pike, is hopeful his filly can turn the tables on the favourite today.

"We have targeted Loire to peak on Saturday so it wouldn’t surprise me if she finished a lot closer than her last two starts," Pike said.

"Her work has been super this week."

"A mile and a-half around Trentham is a lot different to 2000m around Hawke’s Bay and Te Rapa."

- Additional information for meetings today. —