Riccarton stable welcome back well-performed youngsters

[Wandering Eyes]

Talented mare Betty Spaghetti is one of a number of well-performed younger horses recently welcomed back into Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong’s Riccarton operation.

The daughter of Stratum Star has put together a tidy record of four wins and five minor placings, including a credit at black-type level, from 14 starts and has returned to the stable to build toward her spring preparation.

Fellow stakes performers Quintabelle, Miss Layla and promising two-year-old Lil Zena are also among those to have come back into the system following time in the paddock.

“Over half the team are young horses and it’s going to be exciting to get them up and going,” Furlong said.

Betty Spaghetti’s form through her last campaign earned her a trip north earlier this year to Trentham where she was devoid of any luck in two appearances.

She was unplaced in the Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) after being denied any room to improve in the straight and a week later finished fifth in the inaugural $350,000 Remutaka Classic (2100m), again having no favours in the running.

“She didn’t have a lot of luck, but we were still pretty happy with her,” Furlong said.

“She has come back this week and she’s a very capable mare who has really developed with a good, long spell.

“She looks like a much more mature mare now.”

Quintabelle’s last three appearances included a runner-up finish in the Southland Guineas (1600m), third in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m).

The daughter of Embellish went for a break after her fourth in the Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) after blundering at barrier rise.

“She had a good season and was a bit unlucky not to pick up a nice race, but still excellent to get some black type with her. She has just come back in as well,” Furlong said.

Last season’s Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) winner Miss Layla added to her record last time in when the Burgundy mare ran third in the Gr.3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) and was second in the Listed Timaru Stakes (1400m).

Lil Zena was given three runs through the autumn with the U S Navy Flag filly’s stand-out performances a pair of thirds, including in the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m), behind the unbeaten Nucleozor.

“She did really well in her first prep and she’ll get ready for the three-year-old fillies’ races,” Furlong said.

The stable will have sparce representation through the winter months with Wiseman’s Diva their only representative at Wednesday’s meeting on the all-weather track.

“It’s not our time of the year, we don’t generally have winter horses and we’re more prepping for the spring,” Furlong said.

To be ridden by Ashvin Goindasamy, Wiseman’s Diva will be given an opportunity to turn her form around from an inside gate in the Entain-NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1400m).

“She’s been a bit disappointing and we’ve tried a couple of different things with her,” Furlong said.

“She has drawn well, which is a bonus, but she needs to step up.”

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