Aucklanders will be remembered for doing the heavy lifting when it came to COVID-19 lockdowns in New Zealand in 2021, and local galloper Showoroses is set to continue that trend at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.

The Ardmore galloper will be out to defend her title in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday but will have to overcome her topweight of 59kg.

The weight is a big concern for trainer Joanne Surgenor, although the South Auckland horsewoman can see the lighter side of the situation.

“The weight is a concern but she is a Jafa, we do the heavy lifting,” Surgenor quipped.

“She is giving them a lot of weight but she is well and is in a good place, she will do her best, she always does.”

The Showcasing mare will give some of her rivals 7kg, with race favourite Gold Watch set to carry 54kg, 5kg less than Showoroses.

While the weight is a concern, Surgenor has no such qualms about Showoroses wide draw of 13 in the 15 horse field.

“She likes it out wide because it gives her a nice run into it and she can set her own pace, which is a lucky thing,” she said.

Showoroses heads into Saturday in a similar vein of form to last year, having finished runner-up in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) earlier this month, a race she won last season before her Rich Hill Mile triumph.

“It was a good run in the Cal Isuzu and she is in a good place, I am happy with her ahead of tomorrow,” Surgenor said.

Surgenor is looking forward to returning to Ellerslie and welcoming back a decent crowd with the region entering the orange setting of the COVID-19 traffic light system.

“It is great to be back at Ellerslie, us Jafa’s like to get out,” she quipped.

Surgenor is also looking forward to heading to Tauranga on Sunday where she will line-up Swiss Legend in the Duncan Dental 2100.

“I have been too busy so I haven’t crossed the border, but we have got one in at Tauranga on Sunday so that will be our first time over the border (since lockdown in August),” she said.

“I like Tauranga, it’s a nice place to go.”