Empire Rose a possibility for Faraglioni

[Wandering Eyes]

Levin trainer Josh Shaw is daring to dream with Faraglioni this spring following her eye-catching runner-up effort in Saturday’s Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings.

The six-year-old daughter of El Roca was a bridesmaid at elite level for the second time after posting the same result in last year’s Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m), and now Shaw is eyeing further Group One targets on either side of the Tasman.

Faraglioni went into Saturday off the back of a pleasing trial win over 1100m at Taupo last month, but was out of favour with punters, who rated the mare a $24.80 winning chance at the jump.

She was given a beautiful ride in the trail throughout by senior hoop Jonathan Riddell, who presented her into a gap just outside leader Crocetti at the 200m, but Grail Seeker proved too strong down the middle of the track, posting a 1-1/4 length victory over a brave Faraglioni. 

“She was super first-up, she brought her form from the trial to the race and I was pretty chuffed,” Shaw said.

“He (Riddell) gave her a gun ride, she just ran into one better on the day.”

While rapt to get more black-type with his mare, Shaw said the ultimate prize still eludes then.

“It is good to get that black-type with her. There’s just one thing missing on her resume and that’s a black-type win,” he said.

Shaw is now weighing up Faraglioni’s next target, with the Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Hawera on October 5 and the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Hastings later this month both in the mix.

“We may pay the late nomination for the Arrowfield or we may look to go to Hawera for the fillies and mares 1400m, but we won’t make that decision until the end of the week,” Shaw said.

“It’s six of one, half a dozen of the other, but I think she has told us that she needs to be in that elite grade now.”

With inclement weather in Horowhenua in the build-up to the Tarzino Trophy last week, Shaw made the early decision to head over to Hastings the Sunday prior, and that choice may have paved a path towards a trip across the Tasman.

“With the weather being so bad down here last week, I made the call to get over there early and she was based over there from Sunday, and she settled in well and did everything right,” Shaw said.

“Going over a week early gave us the pointer that she may even be able to get to Aussie without any worry.

“Australia is definitely in mind, whether it is for a one off in the spring or whether we look to go over there for an autumn campaign, we are just weighing up the options now. “If she were to run in the Arrowfield and performed well in that then we would look to go and take on the Empire Rose (Gr.1, 1600m). She won’t be running too many times this spring.”

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