Group Three winner Spencer (NZ) (Derryn) was runner-up in the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) two years ago when ridden by Lisa Allpress, and he will reunite with the returning jockey in this year’s edition where the pair will aim to go one better on Saturday.

Allpress has spent most of the last two years on the sideline following two separate injuries, but she made the perfect return to raceday riding last Saturday when winning aboard the Kevin Myers-trained He’s Lucid (NZ) (Contributer) at Hawera.

Trainers Peter and Shaun McKay are glad to have secured the veteran hoop’s services, with Peter McKay initially broaching the idea of Allpress returning to ride in the race when seeing her at Trentham earlier this month.

“I saw her down at Wellington and we were thinking of going there (Opunake Cup) so I dropped the idea and asked if she would be back in time,” Peter McKay said.

“She has won two or three races on the horse and with the split meeting (Ruakaka and New Plymouth) we were wondering who was going to be riding down there, so we thought it would be nice to have someone who knows the horse, albeit she was coming back off an injury. Lisa had already been riding at the trials and we knew her fitness would be as good as most, and now she has already had a winner.”

Spencer has had two lead-in runs to Saturday’s Agfirst Engineering-sponsored feature, including running fourth over 1200m at Trentham a fortnight ago on a Heavy10 track, a surface he will meet at New Plymouth this weekend.

“We are pretty happy with him, my only worry is the track and what it comes up, whether it is loose or sticky,” McKay said. “He has won on a Heavy before, but I think more on the loose side.”

The McKays tested Spencer over a mile in the Gr.2 Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham in January, and while he finished 10^th, they aren’t ruling out a return to the distance on more forgiving going.

“It (stepping up to a mile) didn’t come off so well down at Wellington for us, but I think we will just get through this race and then assess things after that,” McKay said. “I thought his run in the Thorndon was pretty good because he had pulled pretty hard, but the tracks were getting pretty firm when we had a go at it. Hopefully we can get him back in form and go from there.”

The stable will just have the one runner this weekend, but several of their leading lights are nearing their raceday return, including Group Three winners Santa Catalina (NZ) (Puccini) and Wolfgang (NZ) (Puccini).

“Santa Catalina and Wolfgang are at the same stage, they have both had a couple of gallops. I am happy with both of them at this stage,” McKay said.

Wolfgang’s season didn’t go to plan, with the seven-year-old gelding unplaced in all three of his starts in Australia before winning his resuming start in New Zealand in the Waikato Cup Prelude (2400m). But then the wheels came off his campaign when heading south to Riccarton to contest the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m), where he finished 12^th.

“Wolfgang went out on a bit of a low note,” McKay said. “When he won that race at Waikato and we went down for the New Zealand Cup, that was the day it virtually snowed and the track was atrocious. I shouldn’t have started him, and he ended up tweaking a tendon.

“We waited to get him back from that and we had a virus go through the stable and we couldn’t really get him over it, and that affected him in his last run or two, but he is very well now.”

McKay has set his sights on the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings on October 10 with Wolfgang, but he hasn’t ruled out a return across the Tasman if he returns to his form of old.

“He will get a nom for the last Group One at Hawke’s Bay, so that is what we are working him towards at the moment,” McKay said.

“If he came out and started doing what he was doing two years ago we would think about it (Australia) again. There is always the Geelong Cup (Gr.3, 2400m) and those sorts of races if he bounced back to form.”

Stablemate Santa Catalina posted three wins this term, including the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, and McKay is eyeing another Group Three target in the New Zealand Cup at Riccarton in November.

“She is nicely in the weights at the moment, so it could be a good chance for her to go down and have a crack at it (New Zealand Cup),” McKay said.

“They will both kick-off at Hastings over a mile and she will head off towards Auckland and get over more ground, and we may look at going down to Christchurch for the two days down there.”

Meanwhile, evergreen gelding Sagunto (NZ) (O’Reilly) may have one final campaign before retirement, with McKay tempted to have another crack at the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) at Trentham in December with the rising 11-year-old, a race he has won three times from four attempts.

“He has been bouncing around the paddock like he is a five-year-old, so I think he wants to come back in,” McKay said.

“I am toying with the idea of getting him back, but he doesn’t start peaking again until November-December. He has won three out of four (Manawatu Cups), so it would be nice to have one more go.” - Joshua Smith

Logan hoping return north can revitalise Group Three performer

Donna Logan is hoping a return to Ruakaka this weekend can help reinvigorate her Group Three performer Yokozuna (Fierce Impact).

The three-year-old son of Fierce Impact began his career with a hiss and a roar at the Northland track last year, winning on debut as a late two-year-old before finishing runner-up to Group One performer Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma) in the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).

He failed to recapture that form when he resumed earlier this year, finishing unplaced in four runs, including three at Ellerslie, a track Logan has found is not to his liking.

“I am not sure that he likes Ellerslie’s track,” the Byerley Park trainer said. “They either like it or they don’t, and in his last start Tom (Wigram, apprentice jockey) said he didn’t let go at all. He was really tight and sore in his muscles after the race, so we just gave him a little freshen-up and he seems to be back a happy horse again.”

While looking forward to lining him up at Ruakaka, Logan said Yokozuna will have to overcome his wide draw and big impost in the Mike ‘Gibbo’ Gibson Memorial (1400m), but he will have the benefit of senior jockey Sam Collett aboard.

“The 59.5 kilos will be something he has got to contend with, and barrier 10 is not ideal, but I am picking he is going to love the track,” Logan said.

“I think having Sam Collett on will be good, she has trialled him, she is a good, strong rider and that might be what he needs.

“I am looking for an improved run from him.”

Yokozuna will be met in his race by stablemate Girlzgirlzgirlz (NZ) (North Pacific), who heads into the race in winning form after posting her maiden victory over 1200m at Tauranga last month, and Logan is hopeful of a repeat performance this weekend.

“We have had a pretty high opinion of her and it was a nice win at Tauranga,” Logan said. “Fingers crossed with the weight advantage she can perform well again. She is unknown on that track, but I don’t know a lot of horses that don’t like Ruakaka.”

Logan will head to Ruakaka with a quartet of other runners, and she is particularly upbeat about the prospects of consistent filly Long Island (NZ) (Reliable Man) in the Fireco (1600m) and two-year-old gelding Summit Rendezvous (NZ) (Almanzor) in the Lion Red (1200m).

“Long Island probably went too far when we tried her up over ground at Te Rapa (last start),” Logan said. “She probably hasn’t got the strength to go 2100m at this point. She is back to a mile and I think she will like the track at Ruakaka. She has been really consistent.

“Summit Rendezvous is backing up (from Ruakaka last Saturday where he ran fourth over 1200m) but he came through that last run super. He is a two-year-old and he is taking on the three-year-olds, but he will have the weight relief for doing that, he will only carry 50.5 kilos. He performed really well on the track last week, just the quick back-up is the only question mark.”

Logan will also be represented at the meeting by Pact (NZ) (Swiss Ace) in the Hirepool (1400m) and Miss Margot (NZ) (Wrote) in the Fireco (1600m). - NZ Racing Desk

The Hangover ready to spark further celebrations

It may have taken a while, but The Hangover (NZ) (Zacinto) is now at the top of his game, and he promises to again be a major player in Sunday’s Oamaru Cup (1400m).

The son of Zacinto will head a strong line-up for trainer Robert Dennis when the gelding fronts up in the Crombie & Prince Ltd-sponsored event, while stablemate Sir Sterling (NZ) (Iffraaj) also looms as a leading hope in the Glenmoa Farms Ltd River Plate Trophy (1200m).

The Hangover has been successful in two of his last three starts and will strike the winter going he is so effective on.

“He’s probably in the form of his life as a rising eight-year-old, but he has found himself in the right races to get those two wins,” Dennis said.

“They were in a Rating 75 and an 80 where he got in with competitive weights and in between, he ran in a stronger open and did what he always does, run a good race and finished in the top four.

“This is a stronger open, but he’s certainly full of confidence and has gone the right way, he gets in with 54kg and I think he’s a good chance.”

Lightly raced for his age, The Hangover has fashioned the tidy record of five wins and a further 11 minor placings from 29 appearances.

“He is very consistent and rarely misses the top four on a heavy track,” Dennis said.

“He’s been a slow maturer and never really handled too much racing, but he seems to be taking it much better now.”

Victory on Sunday would press The Hangover’s claims for a crack at the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup (1600m) with the Riccarton feature already on last-start Waimate Cup (1600m) runner-up Sir Stirling’s radar.

“I’d probably say the best he’s gone for us was last time, it was a massive effort,” Dennis said.

“He was three wide and working hard and was only beaten by Tumuch in the last few strides and he’s one of the better horses in the South Island when he’s right.

“We’re dropping him back to 1200m and one or two are maybe too sharp for him, but after such a tough run last time we wanted to freshen him and hopefully build into the Winter Cup. If The Hangover came out and won on Sunday then we’d have to look at that as well for him.”

On the undercard, Dennis also likes the chances of last-start winner Taihoro (NZ) (Ocean Park) in the Chris Johnson & Noel Harris (1600m).

“We’ve always thought a bit of him, I don’t know if it’s a terribly strong Rating 65 to be stepping into out of maidens,” he said.

“He’s won the course and is up to a mile, which should suit him.”

Lethal Roc (NZ) (El Roca) and Magnastar (NZ) (Magna Grecia) also give the stable a competitive hand in the Dave Allan Memorial (1200m).

The former was a dominant last-start winner at Oamaru while Magnastar finished runner-up at Wingatui three runs back and has since finished in behind the major players.

“Lethal Roc has done nothing wrong in her career, she put them away last time and looks fantastic,” Dennis said.

“It wouldn’t be a surprise to see her put in another bold run if she handles the track and Magnastar likes the course and he does love a heavy, testing track.” - Joshua Smith