Byerley Park barn holds strong hand for Ellerslie feature

[Wandering Eyes]

Byerley Park trainers Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley will have a three-pronged attack in Saturday’s Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m), including a couple of leading lights for Champions Day at the Auckland track on March 8. 

Exciting stayer Son of Sun (NZ) (Tavistock) and Melbourne Cup runner Trust In You (NZ) (Sweynesse) are being set for the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at the feature meeting, and will use Saturday as a starting point for their shot at New Zealand’s most coveted two-mile race. 

Both horses have been freshened since their last outings at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, where Son of Sun was victorious in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) and Trust In You was sixth in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m), and Cooksley is hoping to see solid performances from the pair this weekend. 

“Son of Sun had a break after New Year’s Day for 10 to 12 days and he is coming on quite well,” Cooksley said. “He will run a good race and then he will head to the Avondale Cup (Gr.3, 2400m) and then the Auckland Cup. He should run the two miles, he is a nice, relaxed stayer. 

“Trust In You goes the same way to the Cup. It was a really good run in the Rich Hill Mile, they went pretty slow, and he has got home really well. The only thing with the Auckland Cup is maybe the two miles, but in the Avondale Cup he will be right there.” 

The stable’s trio of runners in the Fulton Family Stakes will be completed by former Hong Kong galloper Meaningful Star.  

The eight-year-old gelding is well accustomed to Ellerslie, with all four of his New Zealand starts taking place on the StrathAyr track, scoring two victories, including the Listed Great Northern Challenge Stakes (1600m) in November. 

The son of Pivotal has also been freshened since his ninth-placed run in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day, and Cooksley is hoping he can return to form this weekend. 

“It was a good run (last start),” Cooksley said. “He got caught three and four deep the whole way in a slowly run race. He sprinted home well but just gave them too much ground over 2000m. 

“There are some nice 2000m races coming up, so we will just see how he goes on Saturday and work from there.” 

The stable will be represented in the undercard by He’s Classic (NZ) (Rageese) in the Trelawney Stud 1600. 

“He has been a bit unlucky in his last two or three runs,” Cooksley said. “He hasn’t had the best of runs but he has done well, and up to a mile will suit him a bit better.” 

Prior to heading to Ellerslie on Saturday, the stable will head to Te Rapa’s meeting on Friday with just the one runner – Staphanos Queen (NZ) (Staphanos) in the Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic Qualifier (1600m). 

The four-year-old daughter of Staphanos has placed in two of her five starts to date and Cooksley is hoping for a breakthrough win on Saturday. 

“She has got a nice draw (2) and should be right there in the finish,” he said.

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