A third Listed Big Dance (1600m) is firmly in the sights of Group One winner Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto) but the Ciaron Maher stable is wary the presence of two superstars against him at Randwick on Saturday will make it hard for him to return a winner.

One or both of Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) and Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior) could potentially stand in Gringotts’ way for much of his build up to the A$3 million race on November 3.

Maher’s assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said the six-year-old couldn’t be in better shape for the Gr.1 A$1 million Winx Stakes (1400m) and can only see him running a handy race despite the mares looming large over the race.

“As you can tell by his trials he’s very well,’’ he said.

“He always looks very well and is no different this time. He had a good base up at the beach.

“We asked him for a bit in his second trial, there was still a bit of condition on him, and he will naturally improve.

“Obviously he’s facing two very good mares but he’s good fresh and 1400m suits and he’s got a good draw. If you forget the two mares you want to be top four or top five and we’d be really happy.”

Gringotts started $5.50 in the Winx Stakes last year and didn’t appreciate a heavy 10 track but ran fifth behind Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock). He was $23 with TAB in the 2026 renewal.

He mixed it with the two big guns in the autumn, running second to Autumn Glow in the George Ryder (Gr.1, 1500m) and fourth behind Sheza Alibi in the Doncaster Mile (Gr.1, 1600m).

The gelding put himself in the Big Dance once again with his second win in the Gr.3 The Gong (1600m) at the end of last spring and it’ll be interesting to see what weight he’ll be asked to carry given he’s won the past two editions with 58.5kg and 62kg.

“It’s a race that’s there toward the back end of the carnival, it’s a good prizemoney race and would be good to get that done again,’’ Gerard-Dubord said.

“The fact he has to face those mares along the way makes it hard for him to win races early in the prep.” - NZ Racing Desk

Home advantage for First Five in season opener

On-course trainer David Greene’s optimism has grown as the week has progressed, with Te Rapa’s track improving into the Soft range ahead of Saturday’s Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate meeting.

The Hamilton horseman’s Group One-winning sprinter First Five (NZ) (Almanzor) is set to resume in the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) this weekend, with the gelding reliant on better footing.

The six-year-old son of Almanzor has yet to line-up on a Heavy track, and Greene said he wasn’t about to change that this weekend, and he was relieved to see the track improve this week to a Soft7, allowing his stable star to have home advantage in his resuming run.

“The track is looking like it is coming back a bit, so it gives some of those better track horses enough encouragement to put their hat in the ring, and it is a smart field,” Greene said.

“The firmer the better for him, and that is clearly shown in his form. All his work at home backs that up as well. I am hoping we might see that (track rating) move from a (Soft)7 to a (Soft)6, which would be a plus. We will definitely be running at those (track conditions) and just hoping for the best.

“He definitely won’t start on a Heavy, 7 is the worse we would start him on.”

First Five was a breakout star among New Zealand’s sprinting ranks last season, winning his last three starts, including the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m), Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) and Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m).

Greene has been pleased with the way First Five is building into his preparation, and he had one quiet trial up at Ruakaka heading into his season opener.

“He seems to be in pretty good order and worked really well on Tuesday morning,” Greene said. “It will be interesting and exciting to see him back out on the track.”

First Five is currently a $6.50 second favourite with TAB bookmakers behind market leader Alabama Lass at $2.50.

Following Saturday’s run, First Five will head to Ellerslie a fortnight later to contest the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) before heading south to Hastings to try his luck over a mile for the first time in two years in the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m).

“Everything works to and from the Proisir Plate and we will be guided from that where we go,” Greene said. “But we plan on giving him a go in the mile race.

“He confuses you a little bit because the type of horse he is and how he works. He has got a big, long, loping stayers stride on him, and it is surprising how sharp he is and how much he relishes sprinting.

“He won over a mile as a four-year-old. He is a six-year-old now and is bigger and stronger, so he should be able to do it. He will get his chance, and if he can get a genuine mile then he is an even scarier animal for people to deal with I would imagine.”

First Five will likely be joined at Ellerslie on Proisir Plate Day by stablemates Bethany Dee and Sweet Ice, who resumed at Ruakaka last Saturday with second and eighth placings respectively.

“That was a brave run by Bethany Dee,” Greene said. “With the small field and the wide draw, she was forced to push forward, and she was left a little bit flat on the corner when they quickened up. She stuck on well and it was a good resuming second.”

“She will go up to Ellerslie on the 5^th as well, there is a (rating) 75 1300m, and she has gone pretty well at Ellerslie before. I think that should be a really nice race for her.

“The plan for Sweet Ice is to race on the same day as well in the (rating) 65 mile. He was a little bit disappointing out the gates (at Ruakaka) and got back into an awkward spot. He is looking for more ground already and is another horse who has shown a liking for Ellerslie in the past.” - Joshua Smith

Twain faces stern opening test

Twain (NZ) (Per Incanto) faces a stern test in his opening assignment of the season, Saturday’s Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa, and trainer John Bell is hoping it will put him in good stead for some lofty sprinting targets.

The six-year-old gelding performed with merit in last year’s edition of the race, finishing fourth behind Sterling Express before going on to win the Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m) and finish runner-up in the Gr.3 Counties Bowl (1100m).

The son of Per Incanto is set to follow a similar path this season, but this time geared towards an elite-level target.

“We will follow that same path, but the main aim will be the Railway (Gr.1, 1200m),” Bell said. “He is a year older and a bit smarter, but it will take a little bit more to get ready.”

This time last year, Twain was already well into his preparation, having won two and finished runner-up in his three lead-in runs, and this year he will go into the Foxbridge fresh.

He has had two lead-in trials, including a runner-up effort behind Well Written over 1100m at Taupo on Sunday, and he will have the services of premiership-winning jockey Craig Grylls aboard this weekend.

“I would like to think he will be somewhere in the first four or five,” Bell said.

Bell will also head to Te Rapa with a strong team on the undercard, including Zenith and Amazonia in the Return To Conquer Mile (1600m).

Both horses head into the race in good form, with Zenith winning over a mile at Te Rapa last month, while Amazonia was runner-up over 1400m at the Hamilton track a fortnight ago.

“They are both fit and well and have got good riders,” Bell said. “Amazonia has improved. She is a class mare that has never had any luck at all.

“Zenith is a beautiful moving horse, and Matt Cartwright will enjoy the ride on him I am sure.

“I would like to think they will run a nice race.”

Pure Champion five-year-old gelding Afore Ye Go is another last start winner and will contest the Ocean Park 2400, and Bell believes the gentle giant has a bright future over ground.

“He showed a lot as a yearling and two-year-old when we broke him in and through his early education,” the Cambridge conditioner said. “He had growing pains and we forgot about him for a year or two and brought him back in and he was 17.1 (hands) as a four-year-old, with a two-year-old brain.

“He has taken a lot of work. The team has put a lot of effort into him in getting him to be a horse, but when the penny drops I would like to think he will be a nice stayer in the future.”

Meanwhile, stablemate Spanish Lad continued his purple patch of form on the synthetic when runner-up behind Kasukedo in Wednesday’s Richard Bright Memorial (1550m) at Cambridge.

The son of Shocking has recorded all five of his wins on the surface but will now return to the grass for his next assignment.

“He was in the perfect position but then we got swamped and kicked out the back end, and then we couldn’t get a run into the straight,” Bell said. “If he had been able to keep in that first three or four, it would have been a different story.

“He is a lovely horse, and we will look at a nice right at Te Rapa for him in the future.” - Joshua Smith

Michael Moroney new target for Lara Antipova

Previously unbeaten filly Lara Antipova's (Russian Revolution) spring campaign will change tack slightly following her first career defeat in last Saturday’s Gr.3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.

The daughter of Russian Revolution was an unstoppable force in New Zealand last season, winning all four of her starts, including the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m), and the decision was made for her to join Te Akau’s Cranbourne barn to test her talent in Australia this spring.

However, she wasn’t given any favours in her Australian debut, lumbered with 59kg and forced to race three and four wide, and she was held up in the latter stages of the race, finishing ninth.

“She had to carry 59 kilos, and she is not the biggest of fillies, and she didn’t get many favours in the running either,” Walker said. “She seems fine. She scoped with Grade 2 mucus after the race, which was unusual because she scoped clean on the Tuesday after her gallop.”

Initially set to head to the Gr.2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on September 19, Walker has elected to change tack in search of weight relief, and she will now line-up at Flemington a week prior.

“We will go to a new race called the Mike Moroney (Listed, 1400m) on the 12^th of September, and it’s against the colts and geldings at set weights and penalties, but she will carry 57.5kg because she gets that two-kilo filly allowance,” he said.

“If she went really well, she will go to the Bill Stutts Stakes (Gr.2, 1600m), and that’s when she gets back to set weights racing, which will help.”

Meanwhile, back in New Zealand, Te Akau will have a quiet weekend, with just the one runner at Te Rapa on Saturday - Born To Be Royal in the Chittick Family Back Butch Castles Legacy Trust 1500.

The four-year-old daughter of King’s Legacy was a handy two and three-year-old, placing in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m).

Born To Be Royal has had two trials leading into her season opener, and Walker, along with his New Zealand training partner Sam Bergerson, expect her to derive plenty of benefit from her weekend run.

“She takes a few runs to get to fitness, and it hasn’t been the easiest of winters at home,” Walker said. “She will improve once we get a bit more racing into her.”

The barn will also head to Te Rapa with Group One performers Qali Al Farrasha and Talisker, Group Three performer Egyptian Queen, and stakes performer She Suits Herself for the Group and Listed 1050m trial. - Joshua Smith

🎥 Did you see?

Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) completed his 1050m barrier trial on a rain affected All Weather surface at Sha Tin as he heads towards the Gr.3 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup (1200m) in 17 days (Sept 6).