Another age-group target for Acapelago

[Wandering Eyes]

Two weeks after an impressive win in a 1400m three-year-old race at Te Rapa, Te Awamutu trainers Katrina and Simon Alexander are sticking to a similar formula with talented filly Acapelago at Ellerslie this weekend.

The daughter of Belardo scored a commanding victory on May 24, dominating from the front in the hands of jockey Kelly Myers and keeping herself well out of the reach of placegetters Ziggy Stardust and Renovations.

The Alexanders will stick to age-group company and 1400m on Saturday, saddling Acapelago in the Sistema (1400m).

“I’ve been really happy with her and she’s trained on beautifully,” Katrina Alexander said. “She seems to be absolutely thriving in this preparation and certainly looks that way physically. I really can’t fault her work at all. She’s heading back to Ellerslie on Saturday, where she’s raced well previously.

“My only possible concern is sticking to the 1400m, because it’s possible that she might be ready to go a little bit further than that now. But I’ve been mindful of that, so our training has been a mixture of keeping her fit while also trying to maintain that freshness and brightness.

“She’s really pleased us with everything she’s done over the last couple of weeks and we couldn’t be happier with her leading into Saturday. It’s a nice chance for her to have another race against three-year-olds before we work out a plan around what we might do with her next.”

Racing in the colours of her co-breeders and part-owners Haunui Farm, Acapelago is out of the six-race winner and Group Two fourth placegetter Acapela. That Elusive City mare’s other progeny include the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) winner Flaunting.

Acapelago has had nine starts for two wins and four placings. She has drawn handily in gate three on Saturday and will continue her association with Myers, who has guided her to a win and a placing from two previous mounts.

The Alexander stable’s other two runners at Ellerslie on Saturday are in the day’s open handicap features – Midnight Scandal in the Evergreen Bloodstock (1400m) and Major Major in the Trackside.co.nz (2100m).

Three-race winner Midnight Scandal ran a bold race resuming at Ellerslie on May 17, finishing second and beaten by only a half-head by Old Bill Bone in her first start since October.

“She’s certainly an above-average mare at this time of year, and that was a fantastic performance first-up,” Alexander said. “She appears to have developed tremendously in that last spell.

“She’s at an awkward point in the ratings now (77) and has to step up into open grade, but at this time of year, she has the ability to be very competitive in that company when she has conditions to suit.

“A lot of her best performances have come on quite heavy ground, so Ellerslie’s new track might have been a bit of a worry, but she let down very well on it last time.”

Major Major is stepping up to 2100m after a series of 1600m runs, which included a strong win at Pukekohe on April 23 before a last-start fifth at Hawera on May 18. The Pins gelding has a good record over 2100m, with three wins and a placing from six attempts.

“He’s ready for that increased distance now,” Alexander said. “I’m willing to forgive his last-start performance at Hawera. At his age, he needs regular racing to keep his fitness up. He struck a very heavy track at Hawera, but we needed to build his fitness and had to run him. “Kelly’s back on him on Saturday, and she’s won on him before. He has his quirks, so that familiarity is an advantage. With anything similar to his win at Pukekohe two starts ago, he wouldn’t be far away at the finish on Saturday.”

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