Regally-bred filly hunting black-type
The Chittick Family Fillies’ Classic (1100m) at Taupo has a prestigious honour roll and has duly been elevated to Listed status this season, and it has attracted a field to suit on Sunday.
Matamata trainers Ken and Bev Kelso have a strong record in the race, having won it with their Group One winner Bounding (Lonhro) (2013) and current sprinting star Alabama Lass (Alabama Express) (2024).
The race proved to be a great launching pad for their three-year-old seasons, with Bounding going on to win the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), Gr.3 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) and Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1200m), and runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).
Alabama Lass went on to have a similarly impressive three-year-old term, winning the Gold Trail Stakes, Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and Gr.3 King’s Plate (1200m), and was runner-up in the Railway and NZ 1000 Guineas.
Ken Kelso looks back on those wins fondly and is pleased the race has been elevated to Listed status.
“We have had a few runners in the race and Alabama Lass and Bounding have won it,” he said. “It has always been a nice steppingstone to go on to the Gold Trail, Soliloquy and races like that. It is nice that it has now got black type to it.”
The Kelsos will tackle this year’s edition with Latoya (NZ) (Proisir), a full-sister to their recently retired Group One mare Legarto (NZ) (Proisir), and they are hoping she can follow in the footsteps of her stable predecessors.
The daughter of Proisir has shown plenty of ability to date, winning a trial over 800m at Avondale as a late two-year-old before winning on debut over 1200m at Ruakaka last month after travelling three wide.
“She had a tiny break and had a few days off after she won at Ruakaka,” Kelso said. “She worked nicely on the course proper yesterday (Wednesday) morning and I am very happy going into the race with her.
“It (debut win) was a good effort. She got trapped three wide and to finish it off like she did was a good result.
“She has got to make that next step up on Sunday to stakes company against a better class of three-year-old filles. It is a learning curve and we will be much the wiser on what track we take after Sunday.”
Northern trainers had two three-year-old stakes options this weekend, with the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka on Saturday, but with its closer proximity and new black-type status on a left-handed track, Kelso said the decision to head to Taupo was made for him.
“I might have been swayed to go back to Ruakaka (for the stakes race), but the reason I didn’t go back was that I didn’t want to give her another big trip,” he said. “I also wanted to go left-handed. If we are good enough to go to the 1000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m), she hasn’t been left-handed, even in her trials. It is a nice race and nice and handy.”
The Kelsos will also be represented at Taupo by three-year-old debutant Levarti (NZ) (Proisir) in the Little Avondale Stud (1000m).
Bred by Philip and Catherine Brown of Ancroft Stud, the daughter of Proisir will carry their familiar silks, which have been prominent in recent years through the deeds of their former Group One stars Levante (NZ) (Proisir) and Legarto.
Levarti won her sole trial over 850m at Te Awamutu last month and Kelso is hoping she can bring that form to raceday.
“She has got to take that step up to raceday,” he said. “There is a big difference between trials and races. She won her trial nicely at Te Awamutu and she has worked up well since, and she has done everything right.
“She has drawn okay (1) and it looks like she has got a bit of ability. Sunday is going to give us an idea on what we do with her, whether we carry on with a fillies race or we give her a small break.”
The Browns’ silks will also be carried this weekend by stablemate Levakia (NZ) (Proisir), who will be first-up in the Shane Batten Electrical Bream Bay Cup (1400m) at Ruakaka.
“She is rated 86 and I wanted to find a nice open 1400m,” Kelso said. “Her record at Ruakaka is good, she has been up there twice for two wins.
“I hope the track doesn’t get too bad because she is fresh-up over 1400m. I thought she trialled up enormous at Te Rapa. Michael (McNab, jockey) has been over and ridden her a couple of times and he was rapt with her work.
“We are happy to be there and then we can progress to a mile after that because she is definitely a staying mare in the future, she has won over 2200m. With an off track I think she should be reasonably competitive over 1400m.”
Meanwhile, Kelso was pleased with Sarti (NZ) (Snitzel) and Alabama Lass’ recent trials and he is looking forward to them resuming in the coming weeks.
“I thought Sarti’s trial on the synthetic was very good and Michael (McNab) was rapt with the trial,” Kelso said. “Weather permitting and track permitting, he may go to Te Rapa next Saturday for a 65 1200m, if not, we have got the option of going to Proisir Day (at Ellerslie, September 5) for a 65 1100m. He is a big striding horse and definitely wants a good track.
“I thought Alabama Lass trialled up really well at Te Rapa, I was really happy and Michael seemed to suit her, and he was rapt with the trial.
“Like everyone else, we are on weather watch going forward to the Foxbridge (Gr.2, 1200m). We would like to get a run into her there so we could look to the Proisir (Gr.1, 1400m). I know it is 1400m but we will get a Good track at Ellerslie hopefully and she has won over 1400m in the Soliloquy at Auckland.
“If we got a reasonable track (at Te Rapa) we would be rapt and she would be very competitive. The weather looks alright for the next week so fingers crossed we can get to Te Rapa.” - Joshua Smith
Evaporate begins tilt towards G1’s at Caulfield
The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes is looking forward to the upcoming spring campaign of Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto).
While technically still in winter, the Caulfield meeting on Saturday has a touch of spring about it, especially the Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m).
The weight-for-age contest has brought together a strong field with nine of the 13 acceptors resuming from a spell.
Evaporate is one of those gallopers and heads into Saturday's contest off the strength of two solid jump-outs.
In the first of those, Evaporate finished second to Zou Sensation (Zoustar) at Werribee on July 17 before two weeks later defeating Caviar Heights (Sea The Stars) over 800m at Flemington on August 3.
"The second one was on the course proper, and he went well," J D Hayes said.
"He seems to have come back bigger and better which is pretty exciting for the spring as he has a pretty good CV to now, and hopefully he can improve on it.
"He's been oh so close to a Group 1, so he doesn't have to improve too far, we hope."
Evaporate ran second in last year's Toorak Handicap, third in the (now Group 1) Golden Eagle, third in the C F Orr Stakes and a narrow second in the All-Star Mile.
Hayes said a Group 1 was all that was missing from Evaporate's record that has seen him win six times with nine minor placings from 23 starts and almost $3.2 million in prize money.
With the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield two weeks after Saturday's race looking a hot contest, Hayes said the So You Think Stakes (1500m) at Sandown on September 5 could potentially be a better option.
"We'll get through Saturday first and then work it from there," Hayes said.
"The Memsie looks like a pretty hot edition, so he could go to Sandown the week after, but the Toorak Handicap (at Caulfield in October) does look appetising.
"He went oh so close last year and hopefully he can go one better this year if we decide to go that way."
In form jockey Blake Shinn, who has ridden doubles in his two meetings back from injury, rides Evaporate on Saturday while Jamie Melham will be aboard stablemate Coeur Volante (NZ) (Proisir).
Melham is returning from a break having not ridden in Victoria since 'Finals Day' at Flemington in July, although she got her eye in riding for the Rest of the World Team in the Shergar Cup at Ascot last weekend.
Coeur Volante was twice successful over 1400m at Caulfield in June and July before finishing a last start fourth to Sass Appeal over 1400m at Flemington on August 1. - NZ Racing Desk
Sutton's bold Feroce warning to rivals
Dom Sutton believes Group 1 winner Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) has returned “as good, if not better” than ever ahead of his spring return in Saturday's P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield.
Now a five-year-old, Feroce will launch another spring campaign over 1400 metres as Sutton looks to build on the performances that have already established him as the flagship galloper of his stable.
“He's definitely turned into a man" Sutton said.
“He's a big, mature horse and, yeah, I'm really happy with the way that he's prepping up so far.”
Sutton believes there is evidence Feroce may even have improved from the horse who emerged as a Group 1 performer earlier in his career.
“I think, first-up last preparation, it showed that he's going as well, if not maybe even a little better than what he was as a three-year-old,” Sutton said.
“He obviously went very close to beating Tom Kitten (Harry Angel) … and I think that was probably nearly one of his best performances in his career.
“Everything we're seeing is that he's come back as good, if not better than what he has done in the past.”
While Sutton is delighted with Feroce's condition, the likely soft Caulfield surface presents a complication.
“He is a horse that likes to be on top of the ground, so it is something we're gonna have to just watch over the next twenty-four hours, to see what condition the track is,” Sutton said.
“He's a horse that does like a good surface, so that would be a question mark.”
Sutton said a final decision could be left until race morning if the track remained particularly testing, although he indicated Feroce was still more likely than not to take his place.
“I'd say more than likely we will run, just due to how strong the Memsie's coming up,” he said.
“We'll run if we can.”
Feroce's strong first-up record and previous performances over the Caulfield 1400m give Sutton confidence heading into the race.
“He likes the fourteen hundred at Caulfield and, yeah, I've been really happy with the way that he's trialled,” he said.
Sutton is keeping Feroce's spring program flexible, particularly after learning last preparation that his star performs best when given sufficient time between runs.
“Something that we have planned to do this spring is to have him up nice and early to then be able to space his runs,” he said.
Feroce's effectiveness from 1400m through to 1600m leaves numerous options available, while Sutton has not ruled out testing him over further later in the preparation.
“If he went and won on Saturday, you got a Makybe at Flemington,” Sutton said.
“He's a Group 1 winner over a mile at Flemington, so it'd be nice to get him back at that trip and distance, trip and distance and track, I should say.”
Sutton also mentioned Sydney's lucrative 7 Stakes as another possible target.
“We've got lots of options,” he said.
“We just wanna get through Saturday first and then sort of make a plan from there.” – Racing.com
Paul Vettise
NZ Racing Desk
NZ Racing Desk
LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
📻 Did you hear?
Liam Peters joined Miles to provide an update on the cerise and white runners highlighted by Cosmic Crusader this weekend at Caulfield.
