Promising juvenile Towering Vision (NZ) (Circus Maximus) will aim to double his stakes-winning tally before heading to the paddock when he contests Saturday’s Listed SkyCity Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie.
Towering Vision became the first stakes winner for his sire Circus Maximus when taking out the Listed Waikato Veterinary Centre Stakes (1400m), a result that co-trainer Sam Bergerson had cautiously hoped for when heading to Te Rapa earlier this month.
“We were quietly confident that he’d run well, we didn’t expect him to win but it didn’t come too much as a surprise,” he said.
“His run at Matamata was really good, he just didn’t have a lot of luck but hit the line well so we were confident going up to 1400m. He had a really nice draw on the day and Gryllsy (Craig Grylls) gave him a super ride, so it was really pleasing to see him get the job done.”
On a stellar run of form, Grylls will retain the ride aboard Towering Vision in Saturday’s contest, where the gelding will face the third, fourth and sixth placegetters out of his Listed success.
“He looks like a really nice chance again on Saturday, he’s met quite a few of these horses before,” Bergerson said. “It’s a smaller field so it may be quite tactical, it’ll be an interesting race.
“He is doing really well in the stable, he did a nice piece of work on Wednesday with Altari and we were really happy with him.
“He’ll go for a break after Saturday and we’ll look forward to his three-year-old season, we had thought he would’ve been more of a three-year-old so what he’s doing now is a really nice bonus.”
His stablemate Altari (NZ) (Savabeel) has also pleased Bergerson in the lead-up to Ellerslie, but the Savabeel three-year-old may be left for another day after drawing an outside gate as topweight in the Yourride 1600.
“He was beaten by a pretty handy horse (She’s A Dealer) last time out and gone the right way since, but we’ve just got to have a bit of a team talk and decide whether we run from barrier 16 with 60 kilos,” he said. “That’s pretty tough on a three-year-old.
“We may just wait a week and take him to Te Rapa instead, but he’s fit and well and continues to improve with racing.”
Celestial Wonder is aiming to bounce back from an eighth-placed effort in the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders Stakes (1200m), her first time finishing outside of the first two placings in five starts.
“It was a bit of a head-scratcher, she was a little disappointing as I felt she didn’t go that hard in front,” Bergerson said. “The leaders stopped and really got swamped late, but we can’t find any excuse for her because she’d never run further back than second prior to that.
“She had a quiet week and seemed to come through it well, I’m looking forward to Saturday but it has come up quite a strong field with Velocious, and if Whiskey N’ Roses runs as well. Back to 1100 will suit her though, and the three weeks between runs.”
The Xtravagant filly will take her place in the Evergreen Bloodstock 1100.
On the other end of the North Island at Trentham, Bergerson and training partner Mark Walker have entered a pair of runners in the Listed James Bull Rangitikei Cup (1600m) in Francee (NZ) (Iffraaj) and Fellini (NZ) (Belardo).
Haunui Farm-owned mare Francee has spent plenty of time in the Central Districts of late, travelling to both Awapuni and Wanganui for the eventual running of the Listed ANZAC Mile (1600m). While fortunes weren’t in her favour on that occasion, Bergerson was satisfied with the effort, where she recorded the fastest closing sectionals.
“She just didn’t get the rub of the green, she went to Palmy (Awapuni) and obviously the meeting was called off there, then stayed down and headed over to Wanganui,” he said. “Over there, the track got quite firm towards the end of the day, she got shaved at the start and was probably a spot further back than we’d have liked.
“She was good late, on a track that was probably a touch firm for her. It’ll be rain-affected on Saturday, the big long straight should suit and she sneaks in with a nice light weight (53kg) in an even-enough field.
“I’m happy with her, but she probably needs to take that next step up to get black-type.”
Francee will be partnered by recent arrival Bruno Queiroz, while her stablemate Fellini is also a likely starter on his way north from Te Akau’s Riccarton base, where he has campaigned from through the autumn.
“He’s coming up from the South Island through Wellington, so he’ll more than likely run with a nice weight (53kg) as well,” Bergerson said.
“Back on the turf is suited to him, he’s another that will need to step up from recent form but he’s got a good positive racing style and gets through rain-affected going.”