TAURANGA CLASSIC ON THE CARDS FOR ROSEWOOD

[Chief Stipe]

Rosewood winning at Awapuni on Saturday

Wet track specialist Rosewood added a tenth victory to her record at Awapuni on Saturday and if conditions suit she will back up in this weekend’s Listed The Ultimate Ford and Mazda Tauranga Classic (1400m).

It was the ninth win on a heavy track for the daughter of Redwood and trainer Marilyn Paewai said her mare flourishes in the wet going.

“She just handles that wet stuff so well,” Paewai said.

“She doesn’t look like she is trying that hard, obviously she is, but she always comes back in like she hasn’t had a hard run.

“She seems to skip over the ground and doesn’t go right into it and have to work as hard as the others. That’s what makes her look better, but it’s easier for her I think.”

Paewai admits she is covering new ground with Rosewood and is finding it a new challenge to find races suitable for the ten win mare.

“Up until she came along I have had horses who have won four or five races,” she said.

“I never thought there would be so much talk and worry about where to place a horse because it has won too many races.

“It makes the job a bit harder, but I’m lucky, I have had help from Allan Sharrock and a lot of other people who are more experienced than what I am.”

Paewai was able to utilise apprentice jockey Hazel Schofer’s 4kg claim at Awapuni on Saturday and she said she may have to continue that strategy into the future.

“It’s just the placing of the horse,” she said. “We are very aware of the weight, but we are lucky there are so many races that we can claim in and lucky to have riders at the four kilo claiming level that can handle her well.”

While Rosewood has placed at stakes level a number of times, Paewai is hoping she can breakthrough for her maiden stakes victory in the Tauranga Classic on Saturday.

“At this point I am going to nominate her for the fillies and mares weight-for-age at Tauranga,” she said.

“The weather is going to be a deciding factor there. They are saying the track is fairly wet at present, but whether it stays like that is another matter.

“The experts tell me that Tauranga can get really deep. We are not sure how she will go on something a little bit better (than a heavy track).”

Paewai is hoping the weather will play its part ahead of Saturday, but believes her mare will be challenged with the step up to weight-for-age company.

“If you are going to give them a start and try and catch them up, like she does, it makes it harder,” she said.

“We haven’t backed her up within a week too often. Lisa (Allpress, jockey) is going to the South Island, so Sam Collett is going to ride her.”

View the full article