Stakes-performed filly Miss Ziggy will take a big step down in class at Riccarton on Saturday and attempt to shed her maiden tag in the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap Maiden (1400m).
The daughter of Brazen Beau has recorded five placings in her nine-start career so far, headed by a third behind La Dorada and Vega For Luck in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie in January.
Miss Ziggy was a last-start fifth in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton two weeks ago, where she was beaten by four lengths by the impressive Miss Starlight.
“I was happy enough with her run in the Canterbury Belle,” trainer Andrew Carston said. “She’s not helping herself by doing a few things wrong, which we’re hoping to iron out.
“She’ll run in the 1400m maiden on Saturday. I think that bit of extra distance will suit her.
“She’d have to be one of the better maidens in the country at the moment, and we’d like to get rid of that tag. This is probably D-Day for her – hopefully she’ll give us a good showing and keep her spring campaign on track.”
Miss Ziggy is nominated for both the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) on November 8 and the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) a week later, with the TAB offering fixed-odds quotes of $31 for the 1000 Guineas and $41 for the 2000 Guineas.
Carston’s team at Riccarton on Saturday also features a number of other potential feature-race contenders during the New Zealand Cup Carnival in November.
Saturday’s Join TAB Racing Club Mile Prelude (1400m) will be the first raceday appearance since December for six-race winner Jon Ol Rocco, who is rated a $51 chance for the Gr.3 Join TAB Racing Club Mile (1600m) on November 12.
“He’s coming up really well,” Carston said. “He trialled super and went to Timaru for a very good exhibition gallop.
“He’s definitely going to need this run, he’s been off the scene for quite a while, but it’s a nice race to kick him off in and I’m very happy with the way he’s going so far.
“At this stage, his campaign is centred around the big mile on the middle day of the carnival.”
Former North Island stayer Ess Vee Are was an eye-catching fourth over 1600m at Timaru on September 7 in his first start for Carston. He steps up in distance in Saturday’s Waimakariri Businesses North Canterbury Cup (2000m) as he builds towards the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m), for which he is rated a $26 chance.
“That was a really pleasing first fun for us,” Carston said. “It was a big effort against a strong field and over a distance well short of his best.
“He’s heading towards the New Zealand Cup and is showing us all the right signs so far.
“It’s another strong field this weekend, but going up to 2000m suits and he seems like he’ll only continue to get stronger and stronger as he builds towards the Cup.”
Carston’s other runners include last-start winners Say Satono in the Cup Week Tickets On Sale Rating 75 (1200m) and Maybe Diva in The Plough Hotel Rating 65 (1400m).
“Say Satono is coming up well this time in and won nicely first-up,” Carston said. “Staying at 1200m again for her second-up run might be a little bit of a query, I don’t think I’ve done that with her before. But I’m trying to keep her fresh with the goal of running her in the Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.3, 1400m) on the first day of the carnival. She has plenty of weight to carry on Saturday, but I couldn’t be happier with how she’s going.
“Maybe Diva came down from the North Island and has had only one start for us and won it impressively, so we can’t complain about that. She’s gone the right way since that race and I see no reason why she wouldn’t be a good chance again going up to Rating 65 company on Saturday.”
