Trainer keen to chase Cup start
Gerald Innes is making plans for a return trip to Christchurch for his in-form mare Strolling Vagabond.
‘‘I’ve nominated her for the Winter Cup, but she’s only rated on 71 at the moment,’’ the Opaki trainer said.
‘‘Last year I sent her down to Pam Robson so she’s familiar with her place and I’ll see if I can do the same.
‘‘There’s an open mile at Oamaru on July 23 or a Rating 75 over 1400 on the same day that she can run in and if she can win there she might sneak into the Cup. I certainly think that’s the way to go with her.’’
Strolling Vagabond, who placed three times on her last southern sojourn, has two wins and a laststart second behind fellow Riccarton hopeful Our Bandit at Trentham.
‘‘She’s always had the talent, she’s just needed to strengthen up,’’ Innes said. ‘‘She’s in the paddock for a week now and she has surprised me the way she has handled the mud.’’
Strolling Vagabond is raced by a syndicate, which includes Innes, after she was passed in at Karaka in 2015.
‘‘We lease her from Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock and we’ve got a right of purchase so we’re keen to get some black type,’’ Innes said.
WANGANUI
The well-named Mountain Mischief has had to overcome a series of nasty set-backs to resume her racing career and the four-year-old now looks in line for a deserved success on her home track today.
The Wanganui mare came off a 16-month break to finish runnerup at Woodville last time out and she can go one better in the Cheltenham with T Lee and ARA Maiden.
‘‘It’s been a chapter of accidents with her, none of them at our place though,’’ trainer Wayne Marshment said.
‘‘She got out of her paddock one day and ran about half-way from Ohakune to Raetihi and then back again.
‘‘Another time she was in the yard to have her feet done and she got loose and ripped her chest right open and she’s had a virus as well.
‘‘She’s good now, thankfully, and I’m really happy with her and with the other two.’’
The stable will also be represented by Hamiltonian (Wickham Clan 1600) and Stealth Giant (Ken Duncan 1350).
The former has won twice from 21 appearances and the lightlytried seven-year-old was a sound last-start fifth when returning from an eight-month break.
‘‘The mile at Wanganui will suit him at this stage,’’ Marshment said.
Stealth Giant missed the kick when unplaced on debut and he didn’t have much luck next time out when he rallied late for sixth.
‘‘He got stuck behind one that was going nowhere and it took him a while to get going again in the ground,’’ Marshment said.
MELBOURNE
Brisbane Cup winner Chocante has returned to New Zealand for a short break before a spring carnival campaign across the Tasman.
‘‘The horse is home now and hopefully it’s all guns blazing for Melbourne in the spring,’’ trainer Stephen Marsh said.
Raced by Wellington friends Mark Freeman and David Price, Chocante is a lightly-raced son of Shocking and has earned in excess of $300,000 in prizemoney.
‘‘It was great to have the owners over there and we celebrated a bit. It was a huge thrill and a great race to win,’’ Marsh said. ‘‘There are a few options for Chocante in the spring and we’re certainly not ruling out heading to Sydney first.’’