Stephen Marsh’s stable promises to be a major player when the feature spring age-group races roll around, with a host of talented three-year-olds to take serious steps toward those targets at the weekend.
The Cambridge trainer will be represented by last season’s stakes winners To Cap It All and Little Black Dress and black-type placegetter Lady Iris in Sunday’s Pak ‘N’ Save 3YO (1200m) at Taupo.
“They’ve all had one trial and this is a stepping stone to much bigger things,” Marsh said.
“Out of this race, there’s the Sir Colin Meads (Listed, 1200m), the Wanganui Guineas (Listed, 1200m) and the Gold Trail Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m).
“We’ll go where we think it best suits all of them.”
Given their similar profiles, Marsh finds it hard to split the trio on Sunday.
To Cap It All won the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m) on debut and placed in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) and Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).
Little Black Dress won both of her starts, including the Listed Star Way Stakes (1200m), while Lady Iris won at the first time of asking and then finished runner-up in the Star Way.
“They’ve all had a trial and are going to improve, To Cap It All has drawn beautifully, Lady Iris is probably the most forward and Little Black Dress has a bad gate (eight) to contend with,” Marsh said.
“I expect them all to race well, but I guess you have to favour To Cap It All and Lady Iris, simply because they’ve got the soft gates.”
Gifted stablemate Tale Of The Gypsy was also an acceptor but will instead step out in The Oaks Stud (1200m).
“She has drawn slightly better in that, I don’t know what I’ve done but in every race she’s drawn near the outside,” Marsh said.
“She’s a very good filly and drawing nine on Sunday is probably a luxury for her, so she’ll probably be ridden off the speed.”
Despite her barrier woes, Tale Of The Gypsy was a smart debut winner and subsequently finished fourth in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m).
Another three-year-old who could be headed for black-type company is Proud Capitalist, who debuts in the Cambridge Stud Stallions (1000m).
“We really like her, the trial form is good and she could find herself in one of those better races as well,” Marsh said.
Magic Carpet will also make his first appearance in the Poverty Bay Turf Club (1100m) off the back of three trials.
“We rate him as well, the track was pretty wet on the inside at Te Rapa and he couldn’t get any traction and I’d love to think we could get him to a race like the Hawke’s Bay Guineas (Gr.2, 1400m),” Marsh said.
Meanwhile, Miss Moet It All is in prime order for Saturday’s Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka.
“She’s been going well on the synthetic and when she ran on the track (fourth) they got a heap of rain the night before and the track cut out and she didn’t like it at all,” Marsh said.
“She’s got natural speed and will put herself right up there, she’s a well-bred filly and can certainly get some black type.”
