Mixed fortunes for Faulkner pair with Waimate Cup transfer
The transfer of the Dunstan Feeds Waimate Cup (1600m) to Oamaru on Sunday has brought mixed feelings for Stephanie Faulkner.
The Timaru trainer was set to contest the mile feature on her home track last Sunday with He’s Tunza Grunt (NZ) (Pure Champion) and O'Riordan (NZ) (Proisir), however, that meeting was abandoned due to safety concerns following a slip in the third race, which she won with Sunningdale (NZ) (Eminent).
Faulkner said the Heavy8 conditions would have been ideal for He’s Tunza Grunt, but stablemate O'Riordan may benefit from the change of track, with Oamaru producing a Soft5 rating on Friday morning, slightly deteriorating from its Good4 rating earlier in the week.
The Prioisir mare performs well on better surfaces, which was showcased two starts back when she won on a Good4 track at Riccarton.
“It would have been better for He’s Tunza Grunt at Timaru because it was wetter there and he would have enjoyed that,” Faulkner said. “I wanted both of them to have a go on their home track because they both go well there, but it wasn’t to be.
“I am looking forward to Sunday, the firmer nature of the track is definitely going to favour O'Riordan. She is a tough mare with no weight on her back so I will expect a bold run from her with Tina (Comignaghi, jockey) onboard.
“It’s nice to get a good draw (3) with O’Riordan, who has been plagued with bad draws.”
He's Tunza Grunt has had just the one run this preparation, beating one runner home over 1400m at Wingatui last month, and Faulkner said he should have derived plenty of benefit from that first-up effort.
“He has never gone well first-up so I expect natural improvement,” she said. “It is possibly on the firm side for him, but you never know what is going to happen between now and Sunday.
“He's Tunza Grunt is a horse that tries every time he goes out. It wouldn’t surprise me if he went okay.”
Later on the card, Faulkner is looking forward to stepping out former northern mare Way Out West (NZ) (US Navy Flag) for the third time in the Oamaru Club (1600m).
The U S Navy Flag mare was formerly trained in Cambridge by Andrew Forsman, for whom she won on debut last season before running fifth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2100m).
She was unplaced in her subsequent seven starts before transferring to Faulkner, who now shares in the ownership of the mare with a large group, including co-breeder John Hargreaves.
She was a convincing first-up victor at Wingatui for Faulkner in April and returned to the Dunedin track last month where she ran home well to finish third over 1400m.
Faulkner has a high opinion of the mare and believes she can work her way through the grades.
“She is a lovely mare who is improving all the time. She is maturing every week, looking a bit stronger and racing accordingly,” she said.
“I gave her plenty of time to get over that fresh-up run because she took a while to recover. She was almost spot on for that second up run and she was getting home nicely.
“The way she is, it wouldn’t surprise me if she works her way up to open company. She is just a lovely type of horse.”
Meanwhile, Faulkner has welcomed back Timaru Cup (1600m) winner Shaking Stevens (NZ) (American Pharoah) to her barn, with stakes targets in the crosshairs early in the new season.
The rising six-year-old gelding was in a purple patch of form late last year, posting four wins from five starts, and Faulkner is hoping he can regain that form.
“He has had a month of pre-training at Amber Hoffman’s on the beach,” she said.
“We will see how he goes, if he comes up quick enough he will go to the Winter Cup (Gr.3, 1600m) if it is not really Heavy. He will be ready for a mile by then after having that month at Amber’s, she gets the miles into them.”
