Busuttin to Raise bar with Prelude hope
Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young’s three-year-old Blind Raise (NZ) (Ace High) will be out to enhance his Caulfield Guineas claims when he takes his place in the Gr.3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude this Saturday.
Blind Raise galloped at Caulfield on Tuesday morning ahead of his first start there this weekend and had Blake Shinn up in the saddle.
“He worked nice,” Busuttin said.
“He was out to work with the stable mate, wasn’t out to do much, had a look around and he stretched out that last bit.
“He looked to work well and Blake was happy.”
Busuttin anticipates Blind Raise will show further improvement this Saturday. The Ace High gelding has won three of his four starts to date, including the Listed McKenzie Stakes at Sandown Hillside last time.
“He was a bit above himself at Sandown – he just had the one trial leading into it and in the parade ring it was noticeable, he was sweating up and up and about, which is unlike him,” Busuttin said.
“With that run under his belt and bringing him here, he should be a bit calmer and I’m very happy with that work, obviously.”
The Caulfield Guineas is the ultimate target for Blind Raise this spring and Saturday’s assignment will give Busuttin and connections a clearer guide as to where their horse stands in the overall Guineas picture.
“It will be another challenge obviously, we’ll see how we go this time, but I’d imagine he’s going to be very competitive,” Busuttin said.
“His coat is still not there yet, his coat is nowhere near where we’d like it to be, but I think we’ve got a month until the Caulfield Guineas to get that right but everything else, he’s going well.”
Blind Raise is at $11 in Sportsbet’s market for the Caulfield Guineas, which will be run on October 10. - Racing.com
Drops Of God building towards summer targets
Sam Bergerson has every reason to have a spring in his step, with Drops Of God, Getupoffathatthing, System Of Play and Lara Antipova among the headline acts in a bumper Te Akau team heading into the heart of the spring.
Multiple Group Three winner Drops Of God (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) took another encouraging step towards her return when finishing a strong second in an 1100m trial at Ellerslie on Tuesday, while exciting three-year-olds Getupoffathatthing and System Of Play are being aimed towards feature targets.
Across the Tasman, last season's New Zealand Champion Two-Year-Old Lara Antipova has already struck this spring, returning to winning form in Saturday's Listed Michael Moroney (1400m) at Flemington.
Drops Of God was given a patient ride in Tuesday's trial before finding the line strongly, and the daughter of Hello Youmzain is being brought along gradually with the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie in January a longer-term target.
"She is building really nicely and has had a couple of trials now, just a really nice, slow, prolonged build-up heading back to the races," Bergerson said.
"There is an open 1200m at Te Rapa next Friday that could be a possible kick-off. Obviously the goal with her is to get a bit more black-type and we're working back from the Railway here (at Ellerslie) in January.
"Beyond next Friday she could go into something like the Legacy Lodge Sprint (Listed, 1200m) or the Counties Bowl (Gr.3, 1100m) and just continue through to the summer months. She seems to be coming up well and trialled really nicely today."
Bergerson said the patience of the Nearco team and Gordon Cunningham had allowed the stable to give Drops Of God plenty of time.
"Post her first trial she went out for 10 days in a good bout of fine weather and she really did well," he said.
"We've brought her in and out and kept a nice, slow build-up into her. She had a good blow today post-trial and is certainly going to improve again."
Getupoffathatthing (Farnan) is heading for a short break after making an immediate impression with his debut victory over 1100m at Taupo last Friday.
"He's a very exciting horse, but he has still got plenty of maturing and strengthening to do," Bergerson said.
"Hopefully we're through the worst of winter and he can get a bit of spring grass and sun on his back, put a bit more weight on and strengthen up. Something like the Almanzor Trophy (Gr.3, 1200m) is a race we can work back from.
"He couldn't have been more impressive first-up and I think he's going to continue to improve the more we do with him."
While Getupoffathatthing has looked a natural sprinter to date, Bergerson hopes he can eventually stretch his speed towards 1500m and the $4.5 million NZB Kiwi.
"From what we've seen at the trials and at Taupo, he's very fast and he is very sharp at home as well," he said.
"We'd love to step him out to something like The Kiwi over 1500m. That would be ideal, but there is obviously a lot of water to go under the bridge and plenty has to go right.
"I really liked the way that when he was asked, he quickened. We'd probably like to see him settle a little bit better initially, but we'll continue to work on that at home."
Stablemate System Of Play (Ole Kirk) remains on a path towards the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai 54th New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) after being scratched from last Saturday's Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at Hawke's Bay due to the heavy track.
He is likely to resume over 1400m at Ellerslie on Saturday, with a three-year-old 1200m at Te Rapa next Friday another option.
"With Ellerslie on the StrathAyr, hopefully we can get a good track and get away with the 1400m first-up. We think we've done enough work with him to do that," Bergerson said.
"He worked on the rail at Matamata this morning with Day One, who we think is a very progressive horse. His work was good and he recovered really well, so it's looking more than likely we'll be at Ellerslie on Saturday."
The Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m) is expected to form part of System Of Play's path towards the New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton.
Meanwhile, Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution) has put herself firmly on a path towards the Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield following her Flemington victory, with the Gr.2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) her likely next appearance.
"Mark was quietly confident coming into Saturday and really bullish that she had turned a corner and improved after that first-up run, where she had a few things go wrong," Bergerson said.
"She seems to have come through the run well and the beauty now is that she goes back to set weights and doesn't have to carry that penalty, potentially back against her own sex.
"It was really exciting to see her bounce back after a fantastic two-year-old year. She's certainly tracking the right way and it was a pretty decisive win carrying the penalty, which makes it all the better." - NZ Racing Desk
Guineas hope Shalabiya cruises in Ellerslie trial
Byerley Park training partners Danny Walker and Arron Tata are preparing to step up the spring campaigns of talented stablemates Shalabiya and Crocetti, with both set for important assignments in the coming weeks.
Shalabiya (NZ) (Brazen Beau) was given an easy time when finishing third in an 1100m trial at Ellerslie on Tuesday, with Walker using the hit-out to bridge the gap between races.
The three-year-old filly has not raced for almost a month and is likely to make her next appearance in a three-year-old 1200m event at Te Rapa next Friday.
“She trialled very well. We just took her to Ellerslie for a day out and to keep her up to the mark,” Walker said.
“She has been nearly a month without a run, so the trial went to plan.
“She is most likely going to go to Te Rapa next Friday for the three-year-old 1200m. If she gets through that well enough, we will continue on to the Soliloquy and then the 1000 Guineas.”
The Gr.2 Windsor Park Stud Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on October 17 will provide an important lead-up towards the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November.
Meanwhile, Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto) has pleased Walker since his latest appearance in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) where he finished sixth behind star mare Well Written, with connections hoping the gelding gains a start in the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m).
Crocetti currently sits 17th in the order of entry, leaving the Byerley Park stable waiting to see whether he makes the field.
“He has come through his Proisir Plate run great and we are just sweating on getting a run in the Howden Mile,” Walker said.
“He’s currently 17th in the order, so he is close to getting in.
“We will have to play it by ear, but if he doesn’t get in, we will most likely look at the Kaimai Stakes at Matamata the following weekend.” - NZ Racing Desk
Lollapalooza looking to bounce back at Ellerslie
Group One performer Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) will be looking to get her campaign back on track when she heads to Ellerslie on Saturday to contest the Trackside.co.nz 1600.
The daughter of El Roca was a top-performing three-year-old last season, winning the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and Gr.3 Sunline Vase (1400m).
She was thrown into the deep end in her resuming run as a four-year-old in the stacked Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) at Ellerslie earlier this month, where she finished last.
Trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall have been pleased with her progression since that run, and they are hoping for a confidence-boosting result this weekend as they continue to eye the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings next month.
“She is working well and it (Saturday’s performance) will give us a decision as to which way we head,” Richardson said.
Stablemate Hawea continues to go from strength-to-strength, with last month’s Listed Chittick Family Fillies Classic (1100m) winner pleasing with her trial victory over 1050m at Te Rapa on Sunday.
She will now head to Hastings on Saturday week to try and match the feats of Lollapalooza in the Gr.3 HBPB Thoroughbred Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes (1200m).
“She was very good in her trial and she heads to the Gold Trail now,” Richardson said.
Cambridge Stud filly Joyeuse (NZ) (Sword Of State) could also be on the hunt for black-type following her debut runner-up performance over 1200m at Te Rapa on Sunday.
“She heads to Matamata on the third (October) and then we might look at the Soliloquy (Gr.2, 1400m),” Richardson said.
Fellow Cambridge Stud filly State The Obvious (NZ) (Sword Of State) will join Lollapalooza on the float trip north to Ellerslie this weekend where she will contest the Hello Youmzain – Champion 2nd Season Sire 1400.
“She goes well and she is still nominated for the 1000 Guineas and just needs a bit of ground,” Richardson said. - Joshua Smith LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
HKJC
Joshua Smith
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing
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