Classy mare Val Di Zoldo (NZ) (War Decree) will have the opportunity to test her talents at the highest level this term after resuming with a tidy trial at Taupo on Monday.
In the care of Cambridge horseman Tony Pike, Val Di Zoldo broke a streak of poor luck when taking out the Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders Stakes (2050m) and Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) in the autumn, which lifted her rating up to 98.
In her first outing since the Travis Stakes, Val Di Zoldo strode out comfortably in her 900m heat, going to the line under no pressure for regular rider Wiremu Pinn.
“I’m really pleased with the way she’s coming up, it was just a quiet trial for her but she went to the line strongly and was strong through the line, so she’s come back in great order,” Pike said.
“She’s reasonably high in the ratings now, so we’ll probably concentrate on the second two legs of the triple crown (Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile, 1600m and Gr.1 Livamol Classic, 2040m).
“She’s a Group Two winner, so if she could pick up a black-type placing in one of those races, it would be very valuable for her as a broodmare, which will probably come next season.”
Her stablemate Slipper Island (No Nay Never) had a coming-of-age campaign in the autumn, winning four races on the bounce down the Trentham chute. The last of the quartet came in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m), where he held off subsequent stakes winners Pier and Tomodachi.
While he believes the gelding can be just as effective around a bend, Pike is looking to target some of the straight track features this season, including during New Zealand Cup Week in November.
“He was just there for a day out, as were most of mine today, but he went really well to finish just in behind the placegetters,” Pike said. “He’ll take good improvement from that.
“Where we head in the short term, I’m not quite sure yet, I’m looking to get him to a handicap race like the Stewards (Listed, 1200m) or something along those lines on a reasonably light weight.
“He’s coming up really well and he’ll probably have one more trial before kicking off at Te Rapa on the 14th of September.”
Riccarton was the setting for Lucy In The Sky’s (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) biggest success to date, when the talented filly took out the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) on the venue’s synthetic track.
That success came off the back of a strong effort into sixth in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie, where Pike intends to kick her off in the new term after a quiet outing in her age-group heat on Monday.
“We hadn’t done a lot with her in trackwork, so I wanted to keep her under wraps today,” he said. “She’ll take a lot of improvement out of today’s trial, she’s still a bit wintery in her coat so it should bring her on nicely.
“She’ll have one more trial, then head to the Gold Trail (Gr.3, 1200m) on the 6th of September.
“She’s a really big-actioned filly, although she’s not overly big, so I would be a little bit concerned if she struck a genuine soft or heavy track. The Gold Trail will be run at Ellerslie, and she’s won on there on debut and ran creditably in the Sistema, and I think that track should be a lot more consistent and provide more certainty going into the spring.”
Pike welcomed the return of Churchillian (NZ) (Churchill) earlier in the day, a Group Three-winning mare who has been off the scene for over nine months following an injury.
“She trialled really well at Counties in December, but pulled up with a very unusual ligament injury to her hind hock,” Pike said. “Hence, she’s been off the scene for quite a while.
“It’s good to see her back, she’s grown into a big strong mare and I thought her trial today, even though she’s been away from the race track for over nine months, was very pleasing.
“She’ll have one more trial before heading back to the races, but she looks to be in for a really good season in those 1400m-1600m fillies and mares races, of which there are plenty around.
“I’m looking forward to having her back on the race track.”
Another in pursuit of black-type honours this spring is Cannon Hill (NZ) (Ardrossan), a lightly-raced gelding who held his own well in a trial won by La Crique.
“I was really pleased with him, he was probably a bit fresh and trialled a bit above himself, but I thought his trial was really pleasing,” Pike said.
“He’s a horse that is nicely rated at the moment to get to a race like the Coupland’s (TAB) Mile (Gr.3, 1600m) on a nice light weight, so he’ll tick his way through the spring and that’s probably the race we’ll target this preparation.”