Canterbury mare Ears Back’s best form has been in the North Island this year, and she has crossed the Cook Strait once more to try to add to her stakes haul.
The seven-year-old daughter of Jakkalberry recorded her first black-type win in the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui in May and doubled her stakes tally when taking out the Gr.3 Metric Mile (1600m) at Trentham in September.
She subsequently posted two unplaced runs in her home region, however, Blackadder said she did have her excuses for finishing last in the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) last month, and he was buoyed by her trial win over 1200m at Ashburton last week, which cemented her trip north.
“Her last race she wasn’t very well and heavily in season,” Blackadder said.
“She had a very good trial last week at Ashburton. I had to give her that trial, and with Our Echo in it, it gave me a good gauge of where we were at with her.”
Ears Back has made her way north to Suzy Gordon’s Foxton barn where she has settled in well and Blackadder said he has received positive reports on her work ahead of Saturday’s Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham.
“She is at Suzy Gordon’s at the moment and she is very relaxed up there,” Blackadder said. “As long as they are happy and eating up you can’t ask for anymore.
“It is a big ask for her obviously, but she is working well and galloped well on Tuesday.”
Saturday’s contest will be Ears Back’s first tilt at elite-level, and while realistic about her chances against a strong line-up, Blackadder is hopeful of a bold showing as he looks towards returning to the Upper Hutt venue to contest next month’s Gr.2 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m).
“We are looking at the Thorndon Mile,” he said. “There is not much down here for her now because weight will get her. We have got to hope she goes well on Saturday.”
Meanwhile, Blackadder will have three representatives at Riccarton’s synthetic meeting on Friday, including New Beginnings in the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap Rating 60 (2100m), Malfy Rosa in The FAB Four-CHCH 29 March 2026 Rating 80 (2100m), and Cavendish in the EDR Contracting Maiden (1600m).
“New Beginnings likes the synthetic and she should be quite competitive,” Blackadder said. “Malfy Rosa is looking the best I have seen her for a long time and Cavendish had his first start over 1600m and he only blew out in the last 100m. He has got a wide draw (11) tomorrow and doesn’t quite have that ringcraft yet, but he is not a bad horse.”