The Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham in a fortnight has been locked in for First Five (NZ) (Almanzor).
The five-year-old gelding was impressive when taking out last Saturday’s Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa, and after some contemplation, trainer David Greene believes he deserves a crack at elite-level.
“It was a pretty decent field on Saturday, so it was good to see him step-up on the big occasion,” he said.
“He has done really well. He cleaned up all of his feed on Saturday night and it hasn’t knocked him around too much.
“We will go to the Telegraph now. He has bounced through the race really well, it is a jump up going to weight-for-age, but we just feel that the 1200m at Trentham down the chute, and the way it is a fast, high-pressure race, it often plays out more to a 1400m race, so I thought we might as well give it a go.”
Meanwhile, the Te Rapa trainer is looking forward to First Five’s stable and ownership-mate Bethany Dee (NZ) (Embellish) lining up at her home track on Saturday.
A half-sister to Group Two winner Magic Carpet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin), Bethany Dee broke through for her maiden win over 1400m at Te Aroha last month, and Greene is hopeful of a similar showing this weekend in the Norwegian Park Mile (1600m).
“She has done really well since that win and she is heading into Saturday in pretty good form,” he said.
“I think getting onto the better tracks has really helped her out. Both of her runs this time in have been full of merit and getting up to 1600m will be a real sweet spot for her distance-wise. We are hoping for a forward showing.”
The daughter of Embellish has drawn the ace marble, by Greene said she will likely be ridden off the speed.
“She probably won’t race right up on the speed, but hopefully she will be able to sit midfield without doing too much work,” he said. Her owners will have a two-pronged attack in the race, with one-win gelding Rambling On (NZ) (Almanzor) set to line-up for trainer Andrew Forsman.