Platinum Diamond to renew rivalry with Churchillian
Three-year-old filly Platinum Diamond (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) will take on weight-for-age company once again on Saturday when she heads north to Tauranga to tackle the Listed Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic (1400m).
The Lisa Latta-trained filly lapped up the Heavy conditions as a late two- and early three-year-old, winning three successive stakes races, and she will be met by those conditions again this weekend, with Tauranga rated a Heavy10 on Friday morning, with further rain forecast overnight.
The Tauranga Classic will be Platinum Diamond’s third contest against older horses, with her two previous weight-for-age starts producing mixed results.
She was eye-catching in her first outing when flying home late to get within two lengths of race victor Churchillian in the Gr.3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park last month, with the filly eating into the Tony Pike mare’s lead with every bound.
“She just got a bit far out of her ground that day,” Latta said.
Platinum Diamond then contested the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui three weeks later where she loomed ominously at the turn following a sustained run from the 800m mark, but the effort told and she failed to kick on, finishing seventh.
“He (Bruno Queiroz, jockey) asked her for an effort quite a way out and she certainly got there easy and came to the end of it in the last bit,” Latta said. “It is hard to know whether it was the mile or it was too big of an effort.”
Latta has subsequently freshened Platinum Diamond and is looking forward to resuming her this weekend where she will jump from barrier eight under Matthew Cameron.
“She had a bit of a freshen-up after the mile at Wanganui to bring her back to the 1400m,” Latta said.
Platinum Diamond is favoured to turn the tables on Churchillian (NZ) (Churchill) and even the ledger between the pair on Saturday, with the Palmerston North filly currently at a $4.20 quote with TAB bookmakers, while Churchillian is the second elect at $5.50 alongside the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Tristar (NZ) (Exceedance).
All going to plan following Saturday, Platinum Diamond will likely press on through winter towards further stakes targets.
“There is the Opunake Cup (Listed, 1400m), so we will probably head there after this,” Latta said. - Joshua Smith
Hayes Mad for a change of luck with mare
If Ben Hayes has learnt one thing with Madiyya (NZ) (Super Seth) over her career, it is that you can't count on too many opportunities each preparation with her.
Hence, narrow defeats at her past two starts have been particularly hard to stomach.
The daughter of Super Seth has been beaten in a photo at her past two starts, each when she was unable to get clear until around 250m from home, which was about 50m too late.
Madiyya is a rising five-year-old who hasn't had a campaign extend beyond four starts to this point, but Hayes has seen enough this preparation to make him think she can bounce back in Saturday's A$130,000 Sportsbet Feed BM78 Handicap (1700m) at Caulfield.
"That's been her problem as a horse, she's never really handled her training," Hayes said.
"But this prep she's actually held weight and doing really well.
"She's an older mare now and hopefully we can get the result, because when she gets it all together she's got the ability."
The two narrow defeats, both at Flemington, followed a first-up fourth placing, also at Flemington, when beaten just over 1-3/4 lengths by Capper Thirtynine (Vancouver).
Madiyya hasn't finished further back than fifth in a 10-start career that features three wins, a couple of second placings and another two thirds.
She drew barrier 11 for Saturday's 16-horse field, in which she will be ridden by metro jockeys premiership-hunter Jamie Mott.
Madiyya has won her only two starts at Caulfield and Saturday's race will be the first start beyond 1600m for the mare who carries the Trelawney Stud colours, but one Hayes thinks she is ready for.
"I think (benchmark) 78, over 1700 should be ideal for her and she's building fourth-up," Hayes, who trains in partnership with brothers Will and JD, said.
Madiyya, who heads betting at $4.80, will be joined in Saturday's race by stablemate Oriental Smoke (Artie Schiller), a $51 chance who is lining up for his fourth run since returning from a stint in Hong Kong with Jackson Radley to ride. – RAS Newswire
Stayers Cup test for improving Tulloch Lodge gelding
A minor placing in midweek grade might not seem like an ideal form reference for the Stayers Cup, but Adrian Bott is banking on natural improvement and fitness helping Centenario (NZ) (Contributer) make the transition.
The former New Zealander finished third over 2400m on the Kensington track last start and with the benefit of that effort over the journey, along with a 6-1/2 kilo weight drop, Bott expects Centenario to better equipped for Saturday's test at Rosehill.
"He's a bit out of his grade, but true weight can hopefully help offset that," Bott said.
"I feel he's improving nicely, and he may have needed that strong run at the distance last start because he has come on well.
"I expect to see continued improvement from him, and it's the right time of the preparation to be testing him."
A dual New Zealand Bloodstock sale graduate, Centenario was a winner and twice placed for Cambridge trainer Tony Pike from five starts in New Zealand. - NZ Racing Desk
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
