Lizac, winner of his last two starts over country, will be in demand for the Otago Steeplechase at Wingatui tomorrow.
Lizac followed a maiden steeplechase win at Wanganui with success in the Homeby Steeplechase at Riccarton. He is trained at Wanganui by Kevin Myers, who won the Otago Steeplechase at Oamaru two years ago with Asset Stripper.
Cody Singer, who has ridden Lizac in his steeplechase wins, has retained the mount,. He can claim 1.5kg.
Daatldomee, runner-up in the Homeby, is a rival for Lizac with Gary Walsh the rider. Walsh has been the regular rider of topweight Lindisfarne. Sam Drake will take the mount on Lindisfarne, who was runner-up to Quartze over country at Wingatui on May 19. Lindisfarne blew after that race.
Lindisfarne ran second to Kidunot in the Otago Steeplechase at Oamaru last July. Kidunot has been sidelined with an injury.
Lautenschlager is at a high standard of fitness for the Otago Hurdles. He has run two bold races on the flat since his win in the Great Western Hurdles at Riverton. Jo Rathbone, who rode him in the Western, has the mount.
Rule The Day, a maiden hurdles winner on a heavy track at Wingatui last month, is in receipt of 3.5kg from Lautenschlager.
Cheap Date is resuming over hurdles after a last-start fourth on the flat. He won over hurdles on dead and slow tracks at Oamaru last winter. He is faced with heavy footing tomorrow.
• Apprentice Tim Bell is seeking to record his first win at group one level when he rides Border Rebel in the $1 million Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm today, AAP reports.
The 18-year-old has been apprenticed to Border Rebel's trainer, Sue Grills, in Tamworth for the past three years.
Bell would join Melbourne apprentice Sebastian Murphy as the only apprentice to win Queensland's premier sprint since Greg Hall won the Stradbroke on Innisfree in 1978 if Border Rebel was successful.
Murphy won the 2008 Stradbroke Handicap on the Mike Moroney-trained Mr Baritone.
Grills believes Border Rebel ($31) is the forgotten runner in the Stradbroke and is delighted with his progress since finishing fourth to Beaded in the group one Doomben 10,000 last month.
"I'm just praying for rain and he drops 5.5kg," she said.
Toowoomba trainer Tony Gollan will saddle up his first group one runner, Listen Son, in the Stradbroke and he believes his tough 4yr-old can cause an upset.
Listen Son ($26) led at his past two starts, beaten narrowly by Woorim in the group three BTC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben before finishing fourth to Varenna Miss in the group two QTC Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm last Saturday.
Gollan, who turned his back on a promising rugby league career, is happy with the rail draw.
"I have no fears about him running 1400m.
"His blood count came back perfect yesterday so if it comes down to a dogfight he'll be right there."
"One of his best runs was when he ran second to Zero Rock in the listed Lough Neagh Stakes at Doomben in December."
• Additional information for meetings today:
Waikato RC:
Scratchings:
Race 5: Winning Trumpy, Fletcher Baybe.
Race 7: Letsplaytag.
Weather, raining; track, slow (8); rail out 9m.
Wellington RC:
Scratching:
Race 5: Jokhati.
Weather, overcast; track, heavy (11), rail out 10m.
