Cheval de Foudre seeking elusive win
Consistent gelding Cheval de Foudre (NZ) (Time Test) will be out to improve on his string of placings when he heads to Hawera on Saturday to contest the Energy Ford (1600m).
The rising seven-year-old has placed in all four his starts this preparation, including three successive runner-up efforts, and trainer Mark Oulaghan believes dropping back to a mile could aid the son of Time Test.
“He has been pretty consistent,” Oulaghan said. “He is dropping back in distance but hopefully if he can get the right run, he will be close again.
“It is not a bad draw (3) and if the track is loose I think it will suit him a bit better, when it is a bit sticky he is not quite so good, but we will just have to see what it is like on the day.”
A day prior at Otaki, Oulaghan will head to Otaki with 11-win gelding Semper Magico (NZ) (Per Incanto), who will be third-up in the Vets On Riverbank Raukawa Cup (2100m).
The 10-year-old gelding is gearing towards a return to jumps racing where Oulaghan is hopeful he can add another hurdle victory to his record.
“He might need the run, he has taken a wee while to get fit,” Oulaghan said. “Once we get him well-conditioned, he will go to a hurdle, that is the aim with him.”
Oulaghan will round out the long weekend with a handful of representatives at Woodville, including three maiden jumpers in Super Flash (NZ) (Super Easy) , Rocking Light (NZ) (Rock 'n' Pop) and Sloane Square (NZ) (Tarzino).
“Super Flash has been a bit disappointing, I thought he might have gone a bit better,” Oulaghan said. “Getting back to Woodville where it is a true track and they follow the rail around, he might be a bit better. On his galloping ability he should be a show and he seems pretty well.
“The other two maiden hurdlers just lack a bit of experience, but they will get another run under their belt.”
Oulaghan will also line-up Pinkerton (NZ) (Niagara) in the Woodville Service Centre Highweight (1600m) and Wind Talker in the Six Rivers Automotive Amateur Riders (2100m).
“Pinkerton is dropping back in distance and if the track is Heavy he should be a good show,” Oulaghan said.
“I also have one in the amateur race who has a bit of form, but it has been on the synthetic, so it is going to be a little bit of a question mark of how she goes on the grass.”
