Group Two winner Moxie (Strasbourg) showed she is on song for next week’s Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) at Ellerslie following her convincing trial win over 1150m at Te Awamutu on Tuesday.

The five-year-old mare took owner-trainer Ken Harrison on a great ride last season, which included victory in the Gr.2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Classic (1400m) at Ellerslie on Champions Day, and he said she has returned a more impressive animal this season.

“She seems bigger and stronger, and she is coming along nicely,” Harrison said.

Moxie made her first public appearance of the season when unplaced in a Group and Listed trial over 1100m at Taupo earlier this month. She was asked for more on Tuesday and delivered on an unsuitable Heavy8 track.

“She didn’t really like the track that much, it was a bit Heavy for her, but I am very happy,” Harrison said.

“She could have gone to Ellerslie for a gallop on Thursday instead of going to the trials yesterday, but I thought after Taupo she needed a little bit harder run than a gallop at Ellerslie.

“She is probably a little bit behind for a Group One race, but in saying that, she has had all the work that we can put into her at this stage. But another run under her belt would have been good.”

Moxie is 10^th in order of entry for the Proisir Plate, well within the 16-horse field, and Harrison said her performance in the Ellerslie feature will determine if she heads south to Hastings three weeks later for the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m).

“It will all depend on how she goes (in the Proisir Plate) as to where we go and what we do next, but that (Howden Insurance Mile) is the plan,” he said.

“I don’t know how she will come up after a pretty good season last season, but I think she will, she looks like she is on the improve.” - Joshua Smith

Logan hoping her fillies can snare more black-type

Byerley Park trainer Donna Logan was pleased to step her stakes performed fillies, Parfait Dimanche (Anders) and Belle Rebelle (NZ) (Ribchester), out at the Te Awamutu trials on Tuesday, and she is hoping they can both match their black-type feats from last season this spring.

While winless as a juvenile, Parfait Dimanche placed in both the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m), and Logan was pleased to see the daughter of Anders take out her 850m heat on Tuesday.

“It was a good trial,” Logan said. “She has strengthened up a lot since she went out for a spell and really fought hard to the line on her own merits. She has pulled up well from the trial this morning, so I am very pleased with it.

“She got black-type as a two-year-old, which is very good for her pedigree, but we are at that starting point again now where they have to prove themselves as three-year-olds. Sometimes they grow a leg between being a two-year-old and three-year-old, and I am hoping that is the case with her.

“I may well look at Hastings as a kick-off point on the 12^th of September for the Sir Colin Meads Trophy (Listed) over 1200m, or there is a maiden there on the same day. We are just planning at this point where to take her.”

While unsure whether Parfait Dimanche will get out to a mile, Logan has put in a nomination for the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November, and she is hoping she can get her there.

“I have put a nom in for the 1000 Guineas, so we will have to hope that she can stretch out that far,” she said.

Stablemate Belle Rebelle, who was runner-up in the Listed Star Way Stakes (1200m) last season, didn’t cop the Heavy8 track conditions at Te Awamutu and finished fourth in her heat.

“Belle Rebelle was in a really hot heat,” Logan said. “Masa (Hashizume, jockey) said she didn’t like the track at all, so I thought it was a pretty good effort from her.

“Belle Rebelle is in the same boat (as Parfait Dimanche). I just want to see how she pulls up when she works after that trial. She might have to go to Hawke’s Bay as well. Belle Rebelle’s worst run was left-handed at Te Rapa. Was it because she was at the end of her prep? Was it because it was left-handed? They have got to prove themselves and we have got to try.

Stablemate Surprize Package, the last foal out of Group One winner Surprize Surprize, had her first trial yesterday and placed over 850m. The daughter of Telperion will trial again before making her raceday debut.

“She was very green, but got home nice and strong,” Logan said. “She will have to go back to the trials on that run. She still lacks enough education to go to a race with her just yet.”

Meanwhile, Logan will head to Te Aroha on Sunday with seven runners, including Girlzgirlzgirlz in the Apparelmaster Waikato 1400.

“It is going to be a wet track and she should love it,” Logan said. “She has drawn out in 13, which will suit her.”

Girlzgirlzgirlz will be met in her race by stablemate Yokozuna.

“I am hoping he will cop the wet track,” Logan said. “I know he has won on a wet track at Ruakaka. By the last race it will be pretty testing, so we will soon see if he is made to be a real wet tracker.”

Logan is also upbeat about the chances of Dragonstone in the Colin West Panelbeaters Maiden 1400 and Rocking in the Manco 1150.

“Dragonstone will love a wet track, but I don’t know if one is the place to be,” Logan said.

“Rocking should love the wet track. She will drop back in distance, and I have kept her a bit fresher for this just to get her to settle. She just over-raced in her last couple of starts, and that is not ideal.” - Joshua Smith

Singletary chasing turnaround in Guineas

A recent trial success has given Andrew Campbell confidence that his promising three-year-old Singletary (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) is back on track.

The Otaki trainer had to regroup following a disappointing end to the son of Satono Aladdin’s juvenile campaign and is looking for redemption in the Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas (1200m) on Saturday.

Singletary came in for strong support on his home track in the Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m) at the end of July, but had little luck in the running and finished out of the frame.

“He started favourite and was caught three wide all the way and over-raced,” Campbell said.

“It was disappointing on face value, but it may have also been the track, it was quite holding that day.”

Singeltary has been freshened and produced an encouraging performance earlier this month at Foxton where he led all the way and was untouched to claim his 1000m heat by three lengths.

“He won easily enough so we’ll roll the dice again and have a crack at the Guineas, he’s better than his last start,” Campbell said.

Singletary was given four trials last term before he headed north to make his debut and came from last to finish runner-up.

“We had to keep barrier trialling him because he was a bit of a barrier rogue in his earlier days and then his first run at Ellerslie was huge,” Campbell said.

“The track was a bit firm for him next time at his second start, so we tipped him out after that.

“He’s pretty ready again now and I would be disappointed if he didn’t go a good one.”

A bold showing from Singletary at the weekend will add momentum to longer range plans for a tilt at the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).

“We’ll get Saturday out of the way and then hopefully all roads will lead to the South Island, if he shows he’s up to it,” Campbell said.

He will be chasing his second Wanganui Guineas success after tasting winning the 2017 edition.

“Waldorf won the Ryder and then the Guineas, he bolted in, and we sold him to Hong Kong. He was a pretty fair horse,” Campbell said.

The Highly Recommended gelding went on to win a further six races there and more than $1.5 million from Tony Cruz’s stable.

Campbell will also be hoping for improvement from Perfect Pete (Edith Bull Memorial, 1700m) and Cocobill (Manawatu BMW, 1400m) at Sunday’s Awapuni meeting on the all-weather course.

The former has placed at his two most recent outings while Cocobill tailed the field home at Hastings last weekend.

“Perfect Pete will back up from a last-start third at Hawera and Cocobill ran last on Saturday and was awful, so we’ll try him on the synthetic,” Campbell said.

Meanwhile, stable favourite Riverplate came through his unplaced run in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) in good order.

“We’ll just lower our sights and try and win a couple more open handicaps with the old boy, he’s been great and everybody loves him,” Campbell said.

“At the first sign of him not looking like he’s up to scratch, he’ll be retired but he’s loving life at the moment.” - Joshua Smith

Shailer pair building nicely into spring campaigns

Justin Case (NZ) (Banquo) and Magice (NZ) (Savabeel) contributed to a memorable season for Kris Shailer in his return to the training ranks last term, and he is hoping they can continue their form into the new season.

Justin Case was a particular standout, winning two of his four starts, including the Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m), and ran fourth in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m).

Shailer, who runs Waikato Stud’s pre-training arm, Courtza Park, said the son of Banquo has developed over his spell.

The gelding made his first public appearance of the season at the Te Awamutu trials on Tuesday, where he finished runner-up in his 850m heat, and Shailer was pleased with what he saw.

“It was a nice trial yesterday and I am pretty happy with him, he seems to be coming up quite nicely,” he said.

Justin Case will head to Hastings next month for the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m), and his performance will dictate the direction of his spring preparation.

“He will more than likely go the Colin Meads for his first-up run and then I have no plans after that,” Shailer said. “It is a little bit unknown what he is going to be up against or how he is going to measure up.”

The Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November looms as an obvious target, however, Shailer is still unsure whether he will stretch out to a mile.

“He was a bit keen at the trials yesterday and we were trying to ride him a bit quietly, but when they are going a bit quicker, he might relax a bit,” he said. “It will be a bit of trial and error with him.”

Magice, who won one and placed in one of his four starts last season, also trialled yesterday, and placed in his 1150m heat.

“He has done a good job in the few starts that he has had with me,” Shailer said. “I think he is a very impressive horse.

“He trialled nicely, he is very big in condition, so we gave him a decent hit-out.

“There is not much around for him at the moment. He is in 75 grade and there are not too many 75 1200m. He will possibly go to the second day at Hawke’s Bay, which is about a month away.”

Meanwhile, following several weeks of pre-training at Courtza Park, Shailer said four-year-old mare Convinced has transferred to fellow Matamata trainer Benji King’s barn.

The daughter of Super Seth had four starts for Shailer last season, winning on debut before representing Waikato Stud’s slot in the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie on Champions Day, where she finished last.

Shailer said she is coming up well and he is looking forward to seeing how she performs on the track over the coming months.

“She is now trained by Benji King. She has been with him for a couple of weeks and she is coming up really well,” Shailer said. “I had done six to eight weeks with her before I sent her to him and she looks good." - Joshua Smith

🎥 Did you see?