Arabian Songbird resumes at favourite track
Four of Arabian Songbird’s (NZ) (Pierro) five wins have come at Ellerslie, and on Saturday the highly talented mare will return to the Auckland track to make her first raceday appearance in more than 300 days when she lines up in the Windsor Park Stud 1400.
The daughter of Pierro has made a big impression in a career that spans only 11 starts, with her five wins backed up by two thirds and a Group Two fourth.
She appeared to be scaling new heights as a five-year-old last spring. Her first two starts of the season produced a pair of impressive victories at Ellerslie against the likes of subsequent multiple Group One performer Tardelli (I Am Invincible).
However, what could have been a coming-of-age campaign came to an early end after a last-start fourth in the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Pukekohe on November 22.
“She’s unfortunately been plagued with bits of unsoundness through her career so far, which has cut a few of her preparations short,” said Robert Wellwood, who trains in partnership with Roger James.
“But she seems to have come back in good order this time in, and we’re really looking forward to seeing her back at the races. We’re hoping to aim her towards some stakes targets, with potential options including races like the Spring Sprint at Hastings and then the TAB Mile in Christchurch.”
Arabian Songbird trialled at Cambridge on September 1. She was ridden by stable apprentice Abinith Simon and finished third to Esperanza (NZ) (Reliable Man) and Liguria (NZ) (Snitzel) over 950 metres.
“The race this weekend is certainly not her end goal, but with the great record that she has at Ellerslie, we see it as a nice starting point,” Wellwood said.
Arabian Songbird will be joined at Ellerslie on Saturday by several other talented members of James and Wellwood’s Cambridge stable.
The Hello Youmzain Champion 2nd Season Sire 1400 marks the three-year-old debut of Incandescent (NZ) (Per Incanto), who was a last-start winner of the Listed Champagne Stakes at Ellerslie on May 16.
The Per Incanto gelding placed behind Azeezle (Exceed And Excel) and Slipper Island in a trial on September 1, and the TAB rates him a $12 chance for the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas in November.
“His build-up has gone very well,” Wellwood said. “Being a stakes winner already, we’re in the fortunate position of not being under pressure to try to get rating points to get into races like the Guineas this spring.
“That gave us the option to just hang back from stepping out in some of the early-season stakes races in favour of a slightly easier starting point. He’s coming up really nicely.”
The Elsdon Park 1200 features Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes winner Fairy Dream (NZ) (Proisir) along with Confesara (Toronado), who won the Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy on Champions Day and had previously finished third to Belle Cheval (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Gr.3 Uncle Remus Stakes.
“The 1200 metres will be certainly short of their best, but it’s a nice place for them both to start,” Wellwood said. “We know we’ll get a good track.
“They’re both on the edge of being open-class stakes horses, and we’ll be guided by what they do this time in. Races like the Spring Sprint could be within their reach as well if they show that they’ve come back well as four-year-olds.”
