Swiss Prince back in business at Te Rapa
Swiss Prince (NZ) (El Roca) will make an earlier than anticipated return to action at Te Rapa where the Group winner resumes in age group company.
The three-year-old made grand progress last preparation with success in the Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) having earlier placed in the Listed Wanganui Guineas (1200m).
He found a deep Riccarton track against him when unplaced in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and hasn’t raced since finishing runner-up in the Gr.2 Levin Classic (1400m) in January.
Off the back of trials at Avondale and Pukekohe last month, the son of El Roca will resume in the Jack & June Stewart Memorial (1200m).
“It’s probably a bit unusual to see a horse like him racing this time of the year, he had a few little niggles, nothing major, so we gave him a break,” trainer Stephen Marsh said.
“He’s a big, strong gelding and if we left him out for three or four months, he would get away on us a bit.
“We needed to do something with him, he’s had two trials and saw this three-year-old race at Te Rapa, a great track, so we’ll give him a run to set him up for the early spring.”
Swiss Prince is well-suited to the conditions of Saturday’s race with apprentice Jack Taplin to bring his weight down to 57kg.
“He’s drawn a bit of a sticky gate, so we’ll ride him where he’s happy and I’m sure he’ll race very well,” Marsh said.
“He’s obviously the class horse of the field, he is fresh up for some time but he’s the best weighted horse in the race to be fair.”
Marsh will also have promising Snitzel filly Ocean Opal in the race with George Rooke to ride the last-start winner.
“I like her, she built to a good win after racing very well and without a lot of luck,” he said.
“She probably got there a little bit early at Matamata, maybe in a better field like this they will carry her into the race a bit more.
“Her fitness brings her a lot closer to Swiss Prince, but certainly he’s got the class.”
Marsh also likes the chances of Dramatic Miss (NZ) (El Roca) in the John F Grylls Memorial Classic (1400m) provided the receives a slice of good fortune.
“She’ll need a little bit of luck from the gate, but she’ll have the head gear on and she could turn her form around,” he said.
“She’s got some talent and she’s back to the Rating 75 grade.”
Marsh will also be represented by three first-starters at Te Aroha on Sunday and leaned to Kahului (North Pacific) in the Agplus Te Aroha Maiden (1150m) as his best.
“Bright Thoughts and Paddy Murphy are going to be better off over a bit of ground, and we haven’t had Kahului for long, just the one trial,” he said.
“If there’s no more rain and the track can improve a few points then barrier one won’t be all bad, I thought he could run some sort of race, I don’t mind him at all.”
