Legramor makes return
Legramor’s trainers are sweating on a run for their filly in the Cambridge Breeders Stakes (1200m).
Hall Of Fame is all the rage in the 3-year-old Group III but Graeme and Debbie Rogerson warn punters to watch their filly if she sneaks a run off the ballot.
‘‘She’s up there with the very best,’’ Graeme Rogerson said.
Legramor is trying to pick-up where she left off before an unfortunate injury interrupted her career.
The royally-bred 3-year-old filly is owned and bred by Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan, and is trained by the Rogersons, just like her dam was.
Her dam was champion filly Katie Lee the first-ever horse to complete the New Zealand 1000 and 2000 Guineas, and winner of eight races and more than $1.1 million in prizemoney.
Big plans were being formulated when Legramor broke through for her maiden win at her second start at Te Rapa in November.
But a bone chip was detected and it required an operation to remove it.
‘‘She’s come back great,’’ Graeme Rogerson said yesterday afternoon as he monitored scratchings for the race.
‘‘One has come out but we need another one so we get a run.
‘‘We are hoping she gets in otherwise she will run next week at Te Rapa. Our jockey Leith Innes is also holding off hoping she gets a run’’ The Cambridge Breeders Stakes will hopefully re-launch her career and also that of Sweet Leader another galloper in the race returning from a setback.
He will be coming back from surgery when he resumes against the competitive age group line-up.
‘‘He’s had a wind operation since his last run,’’ said Lance O’sullivan, who prepares the son of O’reilly with Andrew Scott.
‘‘He looks extremely well and he’s forward enough to go a big race.’’ While all the outwardly signs are positive, O’sullivan said the true test was yet to come.
‘‘The operation went well, but you never really know with these things until they are put under the pressure of a race.’’ A trial had been considered for Sweet Leader ahead of his return, but such was his progress at home that it was decided go to straight to Te Rapa.
‘‘We thought about it a few weeks ago, but he was looking good and we decided he didn’t need to trial and we’re quite comfortable with that decision.’’ Placed in his only 2-year-old appearance, Sweet Leader won on debut at Taupo this season before he again beat the older horses in a Rating 65 contest at Te Rapa.
The colt was then an early favourite for the 2000 Guineas, but his campaign was halted after he ran fifth in the Listed Barneswood Farm Stakes at Ashburton.
There is confidence i nearly beeting with Sweet Leader ($7) on the third line of betting behind warm favourite Hall Of Fame ($2.30) and Bella Gioia ($6).
Hall Of Fame jumped at short odds in the 2000 Guineas and failed, but he bounced back for a Group I win in the Levin Classic.
After a disappointing fifth in the Waikato Guineas he was put aside by trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards.
Autridge reports the son of Fastnet Rock is ready to go.
‘‘He’s come up very well,’’ Autridge said.
‘‘He looks, great and we think he will put in a good first-up run.’’
Hall Of Fame has been tried at 1200m three times for two wins and a second.
Meanwhile, Cambridge trainer Trevor Cruz is hardly daring to think that fitness, weather and the right races could all align for his three runners today.
Cruz has been one of many trainers frustrated by a wet late summer and autumn and without trying to goad Mother Nature, he is aiming to capitalise on the current dead track conditions at Te Rapa and Hastings.
‘‘My team has been out of sync with the weather. The two cyclones passing through have changed things a bit and I’ve had horses ready to go on a good track,but they just haven’t been around,’’ Cruz said.
‘‘I wasn’t even sure I could get another run out of some of my team, but I’ve kept them in work, the weather has turned and the tracks are quite good for this weekend. They are all working well enough to be competitive.’’
Cruz and his brother Martin will produce Elusive Meteor in the Inglis Sales Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa and Packing Tycoon and Heart Beat at Hastings.
Northern Meteor filly Elusive Meteor has yet to finish worse than fourth in four starts and lowered the colours of Andado, who has won three consecutive races since, to clinch her maiden win.
‘‘It’s a very tough field. You’ve got Hall Of Fame and his form is great and there a lot of good threeyear-olds coming in with good form,’’ Cruz said.
‘‘My horse is well though and if she can run a placing, we’d be pleased. If the conditions stay the same, I think she can be competitive.’’
Cruz said Elusive Meteor was a work in progress, but she had plenty of potential.
‘‘She’s learnt a lot from her last two runs,’’ he said.
‘‘Early on she would go a bit hard, but she’s now shown she can settle off the speed and run on better.’’