Summer Seven:

Away from the obvious here are seven horses to follow over the summer and beyond on good tracks:

Polyantha: Long striding four-year-old Encosta De Lago mare who appreciated the step to 2100m at Ellerslie last start to record a comprehensive win. Switches off in her races whatever the tempo and can really let down over the concluding stages; great attributes for a modern day stayer. Maybe a year too soon but with the staying ranks lacking any stars, she is a genuine lightweight chance in races like the City of Auckland and Wellington Cups.

Sir Lovesalot: The virtue of patience is never more in evidence than the career of the lightly raced four-year-old. Plenty of good judges tried to buy the athletic yet lightly framed youngster at Karaka, but chances are not too many would played the waiting game like Donna and Dean Logan. Their point of advantage is the sandy Ruakaka track at their doorstep which stays in reasonable shape throughout the year, an advantage for a local stables educating young horses through the winter months. Always possessing a good turn of foot, strengthening with age has meant the stallion can now use it at both ends of a race, as he displayed when making a winning step from R85 company to a Listed 1400m event at Te Rapa. Will be a major player in the Rich Hill and Thorndon Miles, and with his speed and strength it is not inconceivable to see him competitive at WFA next season.

Auspicious: Another of the stock of Darci Brahma coming into their own at four. Can make things difficult for herself with slow getaways but always gets home strongly, which was exactly the pattern in her most recent start, at Matamata over 1400m on 20 December - her last 200m down the short straight was particularly impressive. No world beater but looks capable of adding at least a couple more wins to the resume when she gets to 1600m and beyond.

Le Choix: Inexperience was always going to be the challenge for the unbeaten gelding going into the Levin Classic after just two career starts, and it probably bought about his defeat as he over raced slightly in the early stages and narrowly failed to hold off the finishing burst of Southern Lord. Generous and Sir Tristram provide sufficient stamina influences on his dam side, and he was relaxing and finding the line strongly over 1400m prior to Otaki, to suggest he can run out a strong mile.

Alert: The maiden win of Alert at last weeks twilight meeting got a little overlooked in the wake of Costume's success but as far as longer term staying engagements are concerned the relentless way the athletic Zabeel gelding chased down the leaders from the turn held a great deal of promise. Although he will never be a big horse, Alert is still some way from physical maturity and possibly the NZ Derby is a tad soon. His temperament at Ellerslie however looked robust suggesting he may yet cope with the next two months. Look for further improvement once the blinkers go on.

Future King: Looked like living up to his reputation and name when scoring an outstanding win at Ellerslie earlier in the month, running the quickest 600m sectional of the season at the course. That form was franked somewhat when the runner-up Schonner Bay won easily at Ellerslie last Sunday. With just two career wins the four-year-old entire will need to win a good race to get a start in the Telegraph, and while Mosse and Burgundy will be all the rage, he will be their toughest threat on a good surface.

Spin Doctor: Five-year-old son of Pins who had slipped beneath the radar of most until his strong finish for second to Sir Lovesalot in a listed 1400m at Te Rapa last weekend. The improvement in the nuggety gelding should have been evident when fresh-up he beat the speedy Whoseyourmaster over 1100m at Ellerslie late last month. Genuine type whose ability to handle most track conditions and distances to at least to a mile – he has won twice at the trip – will hold him in good stead.

Unquestionably Ellerslie form from the last month is the form to follow.

Silent Achiever followed a maiden win at the Ellerslie twilight meeting with a rather unlucky third in the Eight Carat Classic last season and Costume, who was every bit as impressive at the corresponding twilight meeting last week, should be very hard to beat in a Eight Carat line-up that looks considerably weaker than last years version.

Just missing the cut were Casino, Planet Rock, Wanabe, Taaxman and Abraham Lincoln.