Last season’s champion two-year-old La Dorada will be out to prove her ability against her Australian counterparts on Friday night when she contests the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.
A dominant winner of the $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) last term on home soil, La Dorada was transferred across to Te Akau Racing’s Cranbourne base this spring and lined up against the older horses first-up in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m).
The daughter of Super Seth finished back in the field in the high-pressure contest won by Baraqiel, and her trainer Mark Walker is expecting an improved effort back in her own age group and sex at the set weights and penalties.
“She came through it well, she didn’t get all favours there and 1000m was always going to be too short,” he said. “We had the option of running against the three-year-old fillies and she would’ve carried 59.5kg, so we opted to run with 50kg in the Moir.
“She’s come along in the coat and her work has been good since, so back to set weights, we think she’ll bounce back tomorrow evening.
“She should be a genuine top three contender, it is a strong field but it’s always important that our better horses can measure up in Australia. With the black-type situation in New Zealand, the most recent example being the Thorndon Mile being downgraded (to a Group Two), it is crucial when we do bring horses to Australia that they hold our black-type status true to form.”
The stable won last year’s Scarborough Stakes with Bellatrix Star, who went on to place in a Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m), but will be considering the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) next for La Dorada.
“If we did head that way, we’d probably go straight in with a 1400m jump out in between,” Walker said.
Back in the Matamata stable, a heavy track is casting doubt over Quintessa’s chances of lining up in Saturday’s Group 1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa.
The five-year-old made a stunning resurgence when claiming the Group 1 Proisir Plate (1400m) earlier this month at Ellerslie, but Walker said she is unlikely to attempt the second leg of the triple crown if conditions aren’t to suit.
“We’ve been happy with her, but if the track came up heavy on Saturday, she’ll be doubtful for sure,” he said.
“If she doesn’t start, we’ve got a few options, but she goes well fresh so we’re not concerned. If she doesn’t start, we may just go straight into the Livamol (Group 1, 2040m) without another run.”
Quintessa appeared at Ellerslie last Saturday for an exhibition gallop with stablemate Qali Al Farrasha, who Walker confirmed will take her place in the $400,000 feature.
“She’ll run regardless, we think she will get through the ground reasonably well,” he said.
“She ran well in the Proisir, she probably just came to the end of it in the last 100m but she’s improved with that run under her belt and the subsequent work at Ellerslie was good.
“It’s a good trip away for the mares, as they get a bit older they can get a bit casual at home. It’s just a way of stimulating them and helps to keep their fitness up to the mark.
“She’ll be best suited once we’re going the 2000, but the mile should suit her better than it did the 1400.”
A Te Akau homebred, Qali Al Farrasha has four elite-level placings to her credit, accumulating over $450,000 in 15 starts.
Walker and his New Zealand training partner Sam Bergerson will be on a fact-finding mission with promising three-year-old He Who Dares, a leading contender in the Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m).
The blue-blooded colt just missed first-up in the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) behind Affirmative Action, earning favouritism for the Guineas ahead of the latter and Landlock.
“He ran really well, he probably got held up a fraction and that may have cost him the win, but that’s racing and the winner was too good on the day,” Walker said.
“He’s trained on nicely, there is a question mark on the track conditions but we would rather find out now if he can get through the ground or not, then we know for the future going forward.”
Lightly-raced gelding Pokuru Gold will resume in the Craigs Investment Partners Sprint (1100m), with a hefty 64.5kg impost reduced by Victorian apprentice Sage Duric’s four-kilogram claim.
“Sage is apprenticed to us here in Cranbourne, so she’s part of Te Akau and is coming over to New Zealand for some work experience while Hayley (Hassman, Matamata stable apprentice) is out suspended for five weeks,” Walker said.
“We have quite a few horses that suit having a claim, so we took the opportunity to have Sage over there.
“He (Pokuru Gold) seems really good, the claim will help him and he’s got a good record at Te Rapa. It just depends on what the weather does, that’s the big question mark again, but he’ll be running on Saturday.”
Duric, a daughter of Caulfield Cup-winning hoop Vlad Duric, has ridden eight winners from 142 rides in Australia. Her other engagements at Te Rapa include the Te Akau-trained Family Ties (St John’s College Foundation, 1400m), and Te Atatu Dream (Inspire Racing St John’s Old Boys Syndicate, 2100m) for Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott.
The talented Wild Night is another resuming at the meeting in the BCD Group Sprint (1200m), having performed well in public trials and exhibition gallops this time in.
“He seems to be going along quite nicely, he’s been an unsound horse throughout his career and his form is better left-handed,” Walker said. “60 kilos on a heavy track is never easy, but it’s just a starting point anyway.”
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