Tide back in at Hastings

Local trainer John Bary is confident Spring Tide won’t find the distance beyond him when he contests today’s Group I Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Hastings.

Runner-up in the last two editions of the Group I Tarzino Trophy (1400m) on the track, Spring Tide has only raced once past that distance, finishing eighth in last year’s renewal while with Foxton trainer Chrissy Bambry.

However, that race came at the end of a seven-race winter campaign, and it was on a track rated a Good4, conditions in which Spring Tide has yet to finish in the top three in four starts.

The Hastings track was rated a Heavy9 earlier this week but with more rain forecast today Bary expects a Heavy10 rating.

‘‘Last year he may have been coming to the end of it, but I didn’t have him last year and so I can’t really comment,’’ Bary said.

‘‘But in my experience this year, I’m very comfortable he’s going to get a mile.

‘‘He is quirky, but provided he loads and everything goes well there, he’s a live chance when the gates open.’’

The Arrowfield Stud Plate will be just the second raceday start for Spring Tide in Bary’s stable, and he said the horse’s preparation had been very unusual for him.

‘‘Nowhere near have I galloped him the same way I have my other Group I horses. I’ve just let him do it on his own – whatever he wanted to do, let him be a horse,’’ he said.

‘‘I felt he didn’t need it – he’d raced a couple of times in the winter so he had that residual fitness, and as a horse he just mentally didn’t need to gallop a lot, so we’ve just played his game and he’s a happy horse doing things nicely.’’

With leading Tarzino players Dark Destroyer and Imperatriz absent, Bary should have a good chance of adding to previous victories he’s scored in this race with Jimmy Choux (2011) and Callsign Mav last year.

‘‘The rain certainly doesn’t disadvantage him as much as a couple of the better ones.’’

Bary also has a leading chance in the Group II Hawke’s Bay Guineas with his exciting filly Best Seller, winner of the Group III Gold Trail Stakes (1200m).

‘‘She’s still got a ways to come in her coat, but the way the weather has been and at this time of the year I’m not worried about it.

‘‘Within herself internally she’s doing very well.’’

Best Seller produced some good efforts as a two-year-old, most notably finishing second in the Group II Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) behind champion two-year-old Maven Belle, but he said bad luck with race cancellations among other things gave her an interrupted preparation.

However, she has looked very good with two victories this season with late runs from well off the pace, and Bary said she would adopt similar tactics even if there isn’t much pace.

‘‘Dynastic looks the one to beat but we get two kilos off him with the fillies’ allowance, and I’m very happy that we’re sitting here waiting for them all to come and play with us in our own back yard.’’