More Wonder up for Derby challenge

[Chief Stipe]

As always, Graeme Rogerson isn’t shying away from a challenge.

Rogerson and his co-trainers Debbie and Bailey Rogerson will produce More Wonder in tomorrow’s Gr. 1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby and Ferrando in the Gr. 3 Waikato Stud Plate at Ellerslie. Should they perform to expectations, Rogerson is planning big things for both horses.

“We think More Wonder is a really good horse. We’re thinking about taking on Winx with him, but we’ll just play that by ear,” he said.

“And Ferrando, if he runs really well, hopefully he’ll get an invitation to Hong Kong (for the Gr. 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize over 1200 metres on April 28).”

Ferrando went within a whisker of claiming his first Group One win when run down late by Enzo’s Lad in the Telegraph at Trentham, run in a sizzling 1:06.95.

“It was a sensational run and the watered track didn’t help, but it was still touch and go whether he might have actually won the race,” Rogerson said.

“He’s drawn another bad alley this weekend but he’s a proven horse. With a dry track and if he gets the run to suit, he’ll be very competitive. He’s worked really well this week. Bailey is really happy with him and she told me they’ll know he’s there.”

TAB bookmakers installed Ferrando a $6 third favourite for the set-weights and penalties sprint behind Spring Heat and Princess Kereru at $5.

A winner of eight of his 23 starts, seven of those at 1200 metres, Ferrando will head to Trentham next start to defend his Listed Lightning Handicap crown on March 16 before heading overseas.

“He won the Lightning last year and then went to Adelaide and it rained. He needs a rock-hard track,” Rogerson said.

Rogerson has high hopes for More Wonder in the Derby, despite the Mossman gelding never racing past 1600m.

A winner of three of his 16 starts, More Wonder ran a luckless fourth in the Gr. 1 Levin Classic at Trentham before meritorious runs for fifth in the Gr. 1 Thorndon Mile at Trentham and fourth in last week’s Gr. 1 Haunui Farm WFA Classic at Otaki against the older horses.

“He’s shown he’s up to running against the very best horses. A few things have gone wrong, otherwise he should probably have been a Group One winner already,” Rogerson said.

“I know it’s a Derby, but he’s a really good horse. Horses don’t work like he’s been working at home. He’s just got to put it all together. He struck a wet track last week and he’d done a few things wrong in the run, but with the right run this weekend, he’s in this Derby up to his eyeballs.

“He’s working like a Derby winner and he’ll be very competitive if he does everything right. He doesn’t pull or anything at home but he’s such a strong horse. I think that much of him I paid $280,000 for his half brother at Karaka.”

TAB bookmakers have More Wonder as a $13 fifth favourite for the Derby behind Surely Sacred at $3.40, Vernanme at $6, In A Twinkling at $7.50 and Platinum Invador at $10.

More Wonder holds nominations in Australia for the Gr. 1 Rosehill Guineas on March 23, the Gr. 1 Australian Derby at Randwick on April 6 and the Gr. 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 13, a race slated as potentially the last for champion mare Winx.

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