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Ellerslie to honour the late master trainer; Livamol still on Graphic’s radar; Wanganui dilemma for trainer.

Ellerslie to honour the late master trainer

The famous green and gold silks of the late Bart Cummings will be seen in New Zealand for the first time at Ellerslie on Saturday.

The Auckland Racing Club will honour the legendary trainer with a minute’s silence and his colours will be also be donned by Opie Bosson aboard Tranky Doo in the second race.

“We felt that it would be the right thing to do to honour the man who is considered the greatest of all trainers in this part of the world and who has been such a great promoter of the New Zealand thoroughbred,” chief executive Cameron George said.

Cummings never raced a horse in New Zealand, but he had a profound influence on the industry and eight of his 12 Melbourne Cup winners were purchased by him at the National Yearling Sales.

His remarkable achievements were acknowledged in 2012 when he was made an honorary inductee into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.

Livamol still on Graphic’s radar

A Group One start for Graphic is still in the mix, despite him missing a run at Ellerslie on Saturday due to the heavy track.

“We’re sitting on our hands a bit and we’re hoping Avondale will be okay and he can run fresh up in the Listed mile there,” co-trainer Chad Ormsby said.

A bold resuming run in the Westbury Stud Karaka Classic on September 19 would boost Graphic’s chances of a start in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic at Hastings a fortnight later.

“It might be asking a bit of him, but he’s had the groundwork with two trials and he’ll have another jump-out as well,” Ormsby said.

Wanganui dilemma for trainer

David Hayes has concerns about Weregoingtogetcha at Wanganui on Saturday.

The Awapuni trainer is worried about the effect a first-up run under 59kg on heavy footing in Saturday’s Grant Sweeney Memorial 1200 might have on his Group One performer.

“He’s ready to go and he’s jumping out of his skin, but I’m between a rock and a hard place really,” Hayes said.

“He needs the race with the Livamol Classic in mind, but I don’t want him to have a gut-buster either.”