Shadow Fox tackles the guns at Trentham
Steve Gulliver is heading into unknown territory at Trentham this weekend.
The Stratford trainer will saddle his first Group I runner when Shadow Fox takes aim at Saturday’s Harcourts Thorndon Mile.
‘‘It’s just really nice to have a horse good enough to be in a race like this,’’ Gulliver said.
Shadow Fox has come a long way in a short time with four wins from his 11 career starts and he earned his Thorndon spot with a successful open class debut at Trentham earlier this month.
The six-year-old son of Keeninsky took up his usual role in front and he ran his rivals into the deck to have 4-1/2 lengths to spare on the Group I performer Charmont at the post.
‘‘I’m really happy with him and I think he’s better now than he was for the other day,’’ said Gulliver, who races Shadow Fox with the gelding’s Wanganui breeder Alistair Murdoch.
‘‘He’s a very good galloper and he always tries hard. He just needed time more than anything, although he had a lung infection last year which cost us a couple of races.’’ Shadow Fox has twice previously been tried over 1600 metres with his best effort a placing at Trentham during last year’s Wellington Cup carnival. He finished third behind Genius, who then backed up a week later to run fifth in the Thorndon Mile.
‘‘I’d be really happy if we could run in the first five as well,’’ Gulliver said.
Meanwhile, Heroic Valour’s performance at Ellerslie this weekend will determine the future direction of his three-year-old career. He has improved with his first-up run and he will strip a fitter horse for the Listed Karaka 3YO Mile on Sunday.
‘‘He worked extremely well this (Tuesday) morning and we’re pretty confident he will run very well,’’ Te Akau principal David Ellis said.
He has been nominated for the Group I Australian Guineas over a mile at Flemington on March 4.