Stakes targets looming for well-related filly

[Wandering Eyes]

Stakes targets are looming for well-related filly Quello Dolce (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) after she posted her second successive win in the Aztech Engineering LTD Sprint (1200m) at Trentham on Saturday, but she will have to wait until ANZAC Day to get her chance at black-type.

Bred by Westbury Stud General Manager and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Chairman Russell Warwick and his wife Lesley, Quello Dolce is by U S Navy Flag and out of Group One winner Il Quello Veloce, and she is raced by the couple in partnership with a large group of friends.

Entrusted to the care of Matamata trainer Cody Cole, Quello Dolce was unplaced in her first two starts last spring but following a freshen-up she broke through for her maiden victory at Tauherenikau earlier this month.

While not initially intending on returning south so soon, Cole felt Saturday’s race looked like an ideal contest in stepping up to rating 65 grade, and that proved to be the case, with Quello Dolce overcoming her outside barrier in the 11-horse field to lead throughout and score by 2-1/4 lengths.

It continued jockey Samantha Collett’s early domination of the Trentham meeting, having won the two previous races on the card, including aboard the Cole-trained Oneira (NZ) (Contributer) in the race prior.

Collett was impressed with Quello Dolce’s performance, particularly her acceleration, which she believes will hold her in good stead as she eyes loftier targets.

“She has taken a really good step up from that first-up win at Tauherenikau,” Collett said. “I think the key to her is that little bit of give in the track.

“She is just the most genuine, little filly you will ever find and she has got so much gate speed. Cody has placed her well and with the natural gate speed that she has got I was able to overcome that wide draw pretty comfortably and she put in a really nice kick. She is putting it together now.

“You can’t teach horses to have that willing attitude, and she has got it in spades.”

Cole has had a high opinion of Quello Dolce for some time and he is rapt she is starting to put it together on raceday.

“We have always liked her,” he said. “She didn’t pull up that well from her race at Tauranga second-up, so we gave her a bit of time and in fairness to Russell Warwick and everyone involved, they let us take our time to get her right.

“It was a pretty soft maiden at Tauherenikau, and a long trip, but she is just a neat, little filly and coped the trip well.

“She had a good bit of determination to fight them off there and she did it quite easily.

“It was never the plan to come here, but I had a look at the noms and it looked a bit soft.”

Cole is now eyeing black-type with his filly and he has highlighted the Gr.3 Windsor Park Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa on April 25 as a key target.

“She is only a three-year-old and is out of a good mare, so we have got to look at some black-type going forward,” he said.

“Working our way back from something like the Cambridge Breeders’ would be the logical step. There is not a lot else. Next weekend comes up too soon for her at Ellerslie, so we will just let her tell us where she wants to go.”

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