Sole CD contender primed for Proisir Plate

There will just be one Central Districts representative in Saturday’s Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) at Ellerslie, and trainer Lisa Latta is hopeful one is enough to claim the lion’s share of the $400,000 purse.

The Palmerston North horsewoman will line-up Platinum Attack (Santos) in Saturday’s feature, and she is pleased with the way he is building into his spring preparation, having placed in his 1000m trial at Foxton at the start of the month before winning his 1200m heat at the Horowhenua track a fortnight ago.

“I am really happy with him,” Latta said. “I am rapt with the way he has trialled, and he is coming up nicely. Touch wood everything has gone very smoothly.”

The multiple stakes-winning sprinter has only raced over 1400m on two occasions, finishing seventh and sixth in the last two editions of the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m), and the distance remains Latta’s biggest query heading into the weekend.  

“The big question mark is the 1400m, but I am just hoping for a decent draw,” she said.

Depending on his performance this weekend, Platinum Attack may head across the Tasman, otherwise he will remain in New Zealand and once again target the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) and Gr.1 Railway (1200m).

“We may look at Sydney, otherwise we will target the two Group Ones. Being a sprinter, there are limited choices in New Zealand other than the two Group Ones,” Latta said.

Platinum Attack could be joined on a trip to Sydney by stablemate Platinum Pantheon (Hanseatic), who was runner-up to Drops Of God (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) in the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa on ANZAC Day before heading to Queensland where he was runner-up in the Gr.3 Winx Guineas (1600m) and Listed Queensland Day Stakes (1200m).

“He had good runs in Queensland without having all favours,” Latta said. “He will trial tomorrow (at Foxton). We will give him a few trials and then he will go straight to Sydney.”

Promising filly Platinum La Danse (NZ) (Noverre) finished a luckless fifth in the Listed Wanganui Guineas (1200m) on Saturday and will now likely head to Christchurch with an eye towards the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November.

“Platinum La Danse had no luck at all and I think she would have gone close if she got through, she definitely would have run in the first two, she was very unlucky,” Latta said of her Guineas run.

“She has come through it well and she will probably head south to the Canterbury Belle (Listed, 1200m) if we think we can get a suitable track down there.”

Latta was disappointed with Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m) runner-up Midnight Dart’s (NZ) (Derryn) last placed finish in the Guineas, and she is now contemplating his next steps.

“I was disappointed with him,” she said. “Lisa (Allpress, jockey) felt he didn’t really handle the track.”

Meanwhile, Latta has called time on dual Group Three winner Belardo Boy’s (NZ) (Belardo) racing career following his unplaced run at Wanganui on Saturday.

A stable stalwart, the eight-year-old gelding won 11 of his 62 starts, including the Gr.3 Metric Mile (1600m), Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m), Listed Opunake Cup (1600m), Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m), and earned more than $475,000 in prizemoney.

He also placed in the Gr.2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) and AGC Training Stakes.

“He was a very good horse,” Latta said. “He is not a very big horse, and he is not an easy horse to ride. He is finding it hard to recapture form and he has got a good home to go to.

“He will go down to Cluden Station in Tarras, the Purvis’ own shares in him, so they will give him a really good home.”

Meanwhile, Latta has called time on dual Group Three winner Belardo Boy’s racing career following his unplaced run at Wanganui on Saturday.

A stable stalwart, the eight-year-old gelding won 11 of his 62 starts, including the Gr.3 Metric Mile (1600m), Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m), Listed Opunake Cup (1600m), Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m), and earned more than $475,000 in prizemoney.

He also placed in the Gr.2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) and AGC Training Stakes.

“He was a very good horse,” Latta said. “He is not a very big horse, and he is not an easy horse to ride. He is finding it hard to recapture form and he has got a good home to go to.

“He will go down to Cluden Station in Tarras, the Purvis’ own shares in him, so they will give him a really good home.”