Doctor Askar (NZ) (Derryn) has had a near perfect record this year and he will be seeking to continue his golden run this spring, with several Group Ones in the crosshairs.
The homebred gelding won all but one of his six starts for trainer Joanne Moss earlier this year, culminating in victories in the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) and Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m), and stakes targets are once again in the pipeline.
“That was pretty exciting with what he did, but we are in a new season now,” Moss said.
The five-year-old gelding has had two trials so far this preparation, including a pleasing runner-up hit-out over 1000m at Foxton on Tuesday, and Moss couldn’t be any happier with the son of Derryn.
“He has just had quiet trials and not much has been asked of him,” she said. “I was pretty happy with him (on Tuesday), he looked happy there with his ears pricked.
“He has been a bit cheeky since he has been back in this time. I think once he starts racing, he will get into his groove again hopefully.”
Doctor Askar has been tested just once outside of the Central Districts, when winning the Easter Handicap at Ellerslie in April, but he is set to be a more frequent visitor to the north this spring.
Moss has covered her bases and has nominated Doctor Askar for all three legs of the spring Group One triple crown, which will take place at Te Rapa and Ellerslie, with his first start of the season set to take place at the former venue in the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) in a fortnight.
“I will probably look at the Foxbridge and see what happens,” Moss said.
“You have got to put him in (to the Group Ones), but anything can happen between now and then.
“I’ll just see how he comes up, but he is pretty happy with himself at the moment and he was really happy after we got home from that trial, he is definitely on the up.”
Meanwhile, Moss said she is ruling a line through stablemate Tai’s subpar performance at Otaki last month, with the half-brother to Doctor Askar finishing 57 lengths off the winner.
The son of The Bold One had won and finished runner-up in his previous two starts, and Moss said he has taken no ill effects from his Otaki outing.
“I don’t know what happened with Tai at Otaki,” she said. “He came home and was galloping around the paddock in the morning and has eaten up since.
“He will probably keep going and hopefully we get a bit more rain. He is not a fast horse, he is more of a grinder than anything.”
