Trots

Three-time Horse of the Year chases a record-extending fourth Champions Mile victory in what could be his final run on SundayView the full article

The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott training partnership have been in white hot form this season with 48 wins to their credit, including seven at Group or Listed level, headed by the victory of Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November. Currently sitting fourth on the National trainers’ premiership table, the Wexford Stables team will unleash runners at both their local meeting at Matamata on Friday and again at Te Rapa on Saturday with O’Sullivan confident they can break their previous season best tally of 49 wins at short notice. “We certainly have had a great season with a predominantly young team, so it has been very satisfying for everyone associated with the stable,” O’Sullivan said. “I think we are on target to possibly get to 60 wins by the end of July, which would be a great achievement. “Hopefully we can knock off the two wins we need to set a new record in the next wee while and it would be nice to even do it this weekend.” O’Sullivan and Scott have eight of their team set for Te Rapa on Saturday headed up by promising three-year-olds Geriatrix (Almanzor) and I’munstoppable (NZ) (Charm Spirit) in the Gr.3 Inglis Sales Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), while a pair of youngsters in Zelezniak (Hellbent) and Sister Cynane (I Am Invincible) add plenty of intrigue to the Cambridge Raceway 2YO (1200m) earlier on the card. “Geriatrix and I’munstoppable are both going well but it is a field with very good depth,” O’Sullivan said. “I’munstoppable has the better draw which will probably give her the edge over the other fellow, however, we are very happy with them both. “Our two-year-olds are also in good nick with Sister Cynane a promising filly. “She has won three of her four trials, so we think she has a bright future ahead of her. “Zelezniak went out a raging hot favourite on debut on his home track but did a lot wrong that day and didn’t really fire like we had expected him to. “He has been gelded since and is a real work in progress, but we’d like to think he will be able to show his best from now on.” Stablemates Uderzo (NZ) (Vadamos) and Karman Line (NZ) (Myboycharlie) clash in the open 1400m contest, with O’Sullivan looking for a measure of revenge for Uderzo after he was relegated from first at his most recent start at Pukekohe. “Both Karman Line and Uderzo are also working along nicely and will strip in good order,” he said. “Karman Line had no luck in the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.1, 1600m) last time while Uderzo cost himself with his tendency to lay in on other runners in the concluding stages at Pukekohe. “They are hard to split although Karman Line has been working very well.” The stable will have five runners on show on their home track at Matamata on Friday, including three-year-old debutant Miss Bo Peep (NZ) (Astern). She is an Astern filly out of Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1200m) winner Miss Raggedy Anne (NZ) (Faltaat) and will launch her career off the back of placing in two of her three trial runs. “Miss Bo Peep is probably our best chance on Friday although she has a pretty rough draw (15) to contend with,” O’Sullivan said. “She has pleased in her trials and while she will benefit from the experience of raceday she should go nicely. “Neighbourhood and Jaffira are both in the rating 75 1400m and are hard to split while Trump Card and Te Atatu Dream would be competitive if they can produce their best.” O’Sullivan also reported that this season’s Gr.1 Railway (1200m) winner Waitak (NZ) (Proisir) has returned from Perth in good shape after performing with great credit as the nominated slot runner for New Zealand’s Trackside Media in the A$5 million The Quokka (1200m) at Ascot last Saturday. “He arrived home this morning and is tucked away in his paddock enjoying himself,” O’Sullivan said. “He went absolutely huge on Saturday in a race where he got back, which wasn’t the place to be. “He finished off very strongly and we couldn’t be more thrilled with how he performed and represented New Zealand on the day.” View the full article

Cambridge trainer Lauren Brennan will head to Te Rapa on Saturday with a couple of in-form runners for breeder-owner Greg McCarthy, and she is expecting them both to go well. McLaren (NZ) (Sweynesse), a five-year-old half-brother to McCarthy’s Group Three winner Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj), has been runner-up in his last two outings and will be out to go one better in the Maneline Cambridge 1400. “He has come out of his Otaki run in good order and I thought he ran well enough down there,” Brennan said. “He always looks like he is going to fade away and then all of a sudden he hits the line really strongly. He has been a quirky one all the way through, we just kid glove him basically and he seems to respond well to that. “He picks up a cheque every now and then. He is not an Ayrton, but he is doing well.” Courtney Barnes will take the reins this weekend where McLaren will jump from barrier 12 with 60kg on his back. “I prefer an outside draw for him because he likes clear air,” Brennan said. “Kelly Myers has ridden him in his last three starts and seems to get on well with him. She is suspended so we have got Courtney Barnes on, and I think he is a more of a female ride than a male ride.” Earlier on the card, Brennan will line-up the fellow McCarthy bred and owned Sir Sterling (NZ) in the Decise Electrical And Control 1300, with the son of Iffraaj also having placed in his last two starts. “He also ran a nice race at Otaki,” Brennan said. “He hit the front a bit too soon there and when he does that, he pulls himself up. He probably should have won that. Hopefully we can bide our time and not hit the front too soon, if he is going to get there on Saturday.” While McCarthy has plenty to look forward to on Saturday, Brennan said he has a couple of youngsters in the barn that are showing plenty of promise for the future. “We have got four for him,” Brennan said. “We have got a really nice three-year-old Belardo filly, who is a half to Sir Sterling. She had a couple of starts during the season and had a couple of chips taken out of her knee. We are looking forward to her getting back into action. “We also have a Ribchester two-year-old for him, so there is plenty to look forward to.” Brennan is also looking forward to her talented jumper English Gambler (Casino Prince) making his return over hurdles at Te Rapa next week. “He will start off next weekend at Te Rapa in the Open Hurdle,” she said. “He had a run 10 days ago at Te Rapa over a mile. I would have preferred to sneak in another flat run for him for fitness, but this hurdle race has come up a bit quick. We thought we would have him ready a couple of weeks out, but he has just taken a few more weeks this year because he spelled so well. “He will obviously go to the front and I expect a good run from him, although I am not expecting him to win first-up. He is going well and doing everything right.” Part-owned by Australian syndicator Roll The Dice Racing, an Australian campaign has always been on the cards for the gelding, however, it has been decided he is more suited to remain in New Zealand. “After running in the Great Northern (Hurdle, 4200m) last year, he just didn’t see out the distance, which I felt like he wouldn’t,” Brennan said. “With all the Australian jumps racing, there isn’t really any short courses for him. There is good enough money to pick up here if he is on song. We are just going to stay on this side of the Tasman and they (Roll The Dice Racing) are happy to do that as well.” View the full article

Te Akau Racing’s Mark Walker was busy packing on Thursday morning as he readied himself for a trip to Adelaide to link up with a five-strong arsenal from the team’s Cranbourne base that will contest most of the major events at Morphettville on Saturday. The quintet is headed by Qali Al Farrasha (NZ) (Almanzor) in the day’s feature event, the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) along with Skew Wiff (NZ) (Savabeel) in the other elite event, the Gr.1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m). Also representing the stable on the day will be Group One winner Campionessa (NZ) (Contributer) who will contest the Gr.2 Queen Of The South Stakes (1600m), Zourion (NZ) (Zoustar) in the Gr.2 Tobin Bronze Stakes (1200m) and Sans Doute (Not A Single Doubt) shooting for five wins in a row in the Gr.3 John Hawkes Stakes (1100m). Walker knows the strength and depth of the fields on the day will make winning a challenging prospect, but he is confident each runner will acquit themselves well. “It is a great day of racing and the added prizemoney on offer has really added a lot of interest to the fields that have been assembled,” Walker said. “Most of our horses will be having their last starts for the season and I am expecting them all to run well despite not having a lot of luck with our barrier draws in some races.” Walker was referring to Qali Al Farrasha who has drawn the extreme outside in barrier 19 (reduced to 16 with scratchings) in the Oaks while Campionessa also fared poorly drawing barrier 12 of 18. “Qali Al Farrasha is having her first run in Australia after finishing third in the New Zealand Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) in March,” he said. “She has travelled over well and has worked nicely but we certainly copped the visitors draw in this one. “We are just going to have to take our medicine and go back at the start and see how things unfold from there. “Mick (Michael) Dee has the ride so she will get every opportunity and it will be very interesting as to how the New Zealand fillies go in the race as both Pulchritudinous and Positivity are in the field and they are the two that beat us home at Trentham. “The Kiwi three-year-olds generally measure up very well at this time of the year in Australia and we are hopeful that is how it plays out again. “Skew Wiff has been mixing her form of late but in strong fields and she strikes another one on Saturday. “Her last race wasn’t that bad as she was travelling well and the rider went to the outside for a run where if he had stayed put he would have got the gap on the inner. That is easy to say in hindsight but if she performs like we know she can, she will be a chance. “She will have this race then head back home to Waikato Stud for a nice spell.” Walker also found plenty of positives for his other three runners on the day. “Sans Doute has been working extremely well and she is shooting for five in a row,” he said. “This is a step up and a new challenge as her wins have come at Flemington, but she has the advantage of being just half a kilogram off the minimum for the race. “She will then head to the spelling paddock and we are excited about her for next season. “Campionessa has a lot of weight on her back (59.5kgs) but she has earned it as a Group One winner and she has enhanced her reputation over here with what she has done. “She will head home for a break in New Zealand after Saturday as well. “Zourion is likely to just have this start before we put her away for a spell. “She chipped a fetlock in the Thousand Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) back in November and got plenty of time off to recover. “She goes well fresh and has had a couple of jumpouts to get ready, so we are hopeful.” While Walker will be in Adelaide, he will also cast his eyes back to Te Rapa where Egyptian Queen (NZ) (Zoustar) will tackle the Gr.3 Inglis Sales Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). “Egyptian Queen disappointed a little at Trentham last time but she had an excuse as she was found to be 2/5 lame in the right foreleg after the race,” Walker said. “Wiremu Pinn is booked to take the ride and he has been having a good run on our horses lately. “She has recovered and trained on well after Trentham so again we are hoping she can show her best in another good field that has been assembled for the race.” View the full article

I'm not bagging what Te Akau do.  Their results speak volumes.  I'm just saying a change in scene and different training methods work too, as the likes of Kingston Flyer and Richard Stomper show.