Robbie Patterson could have as many as five runners taking on this year’s Listed Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Opunake Cup (1400m), including an in-form Belles Beau, who will make his final appearance before the feature at Otaki on Saturday.
A four-year-old by Iffraaj, Belles Beau proved he was up to open class when defeating stakes winner Bradman at Wanganui last start, and with Belardo Boy in the mix, he’ll have the luxury of a 54kg impost in the New World Otaki Handicap (1400m).
“It’s been three weeks, so we’ve got to keep him up to the mark at this time of the year,” Patterson said. “He’s done very well since then, he’s had a couple of gallops at Stratford recently and gone super.
“Especially at the weights, it’ll take a pretty good horse to beat him on Saturday.”
Preparing for just his 10th start, Patterson is cautious of his charge climbing up the weight scale too rapidly, particularly as he heads into the spring.
“He beat a good horse in Bradman the other day, so we’ll just have to place him properly going forward,” Patterson said. “These geldings get up the weights very quickly, so we’ll get through the Opunake Cup and go from there.
“Hopefully he can transform this wet-track form onto better tracks, but he has won on them before and he has strengthened up so hopefully we can go to that next level.”
Come the 19th of July at New Plymouth, Belles Beau will have plenty of company in the form of his own stablemates, with last-start winner Sinbin and Group Three-winning mare Our Jumala confirmed for the race, while Catherinenz and the gelding’s full-sister Belles Fate are also being considered.
“After winning the open handicap the other day, Sinbin will be going there, and Catherinenz will as well if she can bounce back next week at Hawera,” Patterson said.
“Our Jumala will be in there, and then possibly Belles Fate, we’re tossing up whether we go for the Cup or a Rating 75 mile. So we’ll have potentially five, but probably four.”
He will also be one of three Patterson runners in the Otaki contest, with Margherita Veloce and Belladonna Lily preparing for further targets.
“I think we’ll just stay in the Open 1400 (with Margherita Veloce), she’s done pretty well since her last run and she’s still a bit big,” he said. “She’s getting ready for the Rating 75 1800 at New Plymouth, that will be more her ticket.
“I freshened Belladonna Lily up with a view on going to New Plymouth as well, after she ran third over 2000m six weeks or so ago.
“It’s good fitness for them, and hopefully they can get a slice of the cherry.”
Later on the Otaki card, an improved Ballroom Blitz will look to back up her first-up success in the Vets On Riverbank Handicap (1600m), while maideners Jaegar, O’Ceirin’s Belle and La Kwik bring solid form into their respective races.
“This girl (Ballroom Blitz) has really matured up and is going really well,” Patterson said. “She loves bad ground and is down in the weights, so I’m expecting a bold run from her.
“Jaegar has improved from his run, I’d be expecting him to go close in that Maiden 1400, but I’ve got a question mark with La Kwik on the heavy ground, if she doesn’t put her foot in the till then she’ll be off for a spell.
“O’Ceirin’s Belle will be a natural improver from her first-up run, she’s looking for 2000m now, but it’ll be a bit like that in the heavy ground over a mile.”
Meanwhile, Patterson will be keeping a close eye on the northern meeting at Te Rapa, with promising three-year-old Beausk taking on the Jack and June Stewart Memorial (1200m).
The son of Charm Spirit won his maiden comfortably on Taranaki’s apprentice-only day, but faces a sterner task, and Patterson will apply a noseband in an attempt to improve his racing manners.
“He likes to go a bit hard in his work, and going up a grade, I’d like to see him finishing off his races a bit better,” he said.
“He galloped last week at Stratford and he just went a bit hard early, then didn’t finish it off. We put the noseband on yesterday and he relaxed the whole way, and was able to finish it off nicely.
“We’ll see where we are with him because it’s a tidy enough field, but he’ll be going back to a special conditions maiden at New Plymouth on the 19th after this.”