Still coming down from the high of taking out last weekend’s Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m), trainer Lisa Latta is hoping to quickly add to her stakes haul over the long weekend.
Her first bid will be at Tauherenikau on Waitangi Day where last-start winner Connello (NZ) (Time Test) will contest the Listed Clubs NZ Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).
Bred and raced by Wairarapa local David Woodhouse, the Time Test four-year-old mare carries his silks, which are commonly associated with his former homebred dual Group One-winning mare Belclare.
Connello has also performed with distinction on the track, winning four of her 25 starts to date, and placed in the Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m), Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m).
Latta has been pleased with her progression since her last-start victory over 1400m at Trentham last month and she is hoping Connello can put in a repeat performance for Woodhouse at his home track.
“She is not very big, but she tries extra hard,” Latta said. “She has trained on really well from that win.
“David lives down there (Wairarapa) so it would be great to win it for him.”
Latta will have strong representation at the holiday meeting, including in the Chatham Islands Jockey Club Wairarapa Cup (2050m). While she is weighing up her options with Knickerless, Thrilling will be a definite starter in the race for the Awapuni horsewoman.
The four-year-old daughter of Shocking has been mixing her form of late and disappointed when unplaced over 2200m at Trentham last month, and Latta is hoping she can bounce back on Friday.
“Thrilling was a bit disappointing last start,” she said. “The track was a little bit off in places and it was just a real headscratcher, but we couldn’t fault her afterwards. Back onto a decent track I think we will see a different horse.”
Latta will head to Te Rapa on Saturday with just the one runner in Platinum Attack who will tackle the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m).
The five-year-old gelding made a winning start to his preparation when victorious in the Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton in November before finishing runner-up to Azeezle in the Levin Stakes (1200m) at Otaki.
He was met by rain-affected tracks when sixth and fifth respectively in the in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) and Gr.1 Railway (1200m), and Latta is hopeful of an improved performance on better footing this weekend.
“We are really happy with him,” she said. “He has just been plagued with wet tracks and wide draws.
“We have added some ear covers on him and he will get back on a good track on Saturday, but he will need a bit of luck from that draw (8).”
Meanwhile, Latta is looking forward to returning north to Ellerslie on Champions Day where Manzor Blue will contest the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m), with her connections paying the late nomination fee for the two-mile feature following her Wellington Cup heroics.
“She has pulled up well, we are really happy with her,” Latta said. “We have put a late nom in for the Auckland Cup, so we will press on towards that.”
Stablemate Be Real, who finished third in the Wellington Cup, has been retired, with the mare scanning in-foal earlier this week.
“We rescanned her yesterday (Wednesday) and she is definitely in-foal,” Latta said. “It was great to get some valuable black-type for her.”