Savabeel gelding Force Of Nature (NZ) (Savabeel) has been in a purple patch of form of late, and weight-for-age assignments could be in the offing for the five-year-old if he continues his impressive form line on Saturday.
Bred and raced by Milan Park principal Tony Rider, Force Of Nature has won five and placed in three of his nine career starts to date, including winning his last three outings.
He will bid to continue his golden run in the Dunstan Horsefeeds 1200 at Te Rapa on Saturday, for which he is currently a $1.90 favourite with TAB bookmakers.
Trainer Andrew Forsman has been pleased with his progression to date, and he will likely give him his first tilt at weight-for-age at the Hamilton track in a fortnight, in the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m), if he performs up to expectations.
“He is running in really good form and he seems to love Te Rapa,” Forsman said. “Each race brings stronger opposition, so hopefully he can keep stepping up.
“We would like to see him run really well this weekend to justify potentially pressing onto a Foxbridge Plate, and then if he measured up to weight-for-age company then the other two races come into play.”
Those other two races are the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) and Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m), which will take place at Ellerslie and Te Rapa respectively next month.
“It would be nice to get to that level,” Forsman said. “He is little way off proving himself as a weight-for-age candidate yet, but I guess that will just be determined by his next start or two.”
Forsman does have a plan b in place if his charge doesn’t measure up, with some Australian targets in mind from his Flemington base.
“He does seem a lot more comfortable left-handed,” he said. “If he is not quite at weight-for-age level at the moment, then there could be some nice handicap options for him in Melbourne.”
Forsman is also looking forward to Privy Garden resuming at Te Rapa in the See You At The Te Rapa Tavern 1400.
“She is off a little freshen-up,” he said. “Over 1400m from a wide draw, we will just ride her patiently.
“It might be a run she needs to have to get back underway and I think at this level, in this company, she is probably going to need a little bit further.
“She has always run pretty well at Te Rapa and generally performs pretty well fresh as well.”
Forsman will also be represented by Milanese in the BCD Group 2100, while last start winner Fat Cat is unlikely to take his place in the Fairview Motors 1200 after drawing the outside gate in the 10-horse field.
“Milanese has been a bit disappointing raceday to date,” he said. “She struck a very heavy track at Tauranga so we have just kept her ticking over while we were waiting for a better track, which we will get this Saturday.
“She has really got to put her hand up. She has shown glimpses of ability on the track, but you have got to produce on raceday.
“Fat Cat is an unlikely runner from the bad draw. There is a lot of speed in that race and he has drawn the outside barrier. Unless there were two or three significant scratchings, we will probably save him for another day.”
A day prior at Cambridge, Unequivocal will attempt to snare the lion’s share of the $100,000 on offer in the TAB Polytrack Championship (2000m).
“It is a race that we have had in mind all campaign,” Forsman said. “We have been working towards having her right for this.
“She has drawn a reasonable barrier (eight), better than what she has had in her last start or two, so hopefully she can utilise that, and she drops significantly in weight as well.”
Forsman will also be represented at his local meeting by Rufus in the Group One Protable Structures (1550m).
“He is a better horse than what his form line suggests,” Forsman said. “We took him down (to Waverley last start) thinking we had found a nice race to resume in and I think the track was just too tricky for him, his wheels were spinning in it as soon as he was asked to quicken first-up.
“He jumped out well on the polytrack prior to that, so hopefully getting back on the poly, on a decent, consistent surface will get his confidence back and I am sure he will run really well.”
