Volpe Veloce’s stunning return
‘‘She's not the easiest to get a line on as she only ever gallops on her own in training and we never ask her to overdo it.’’
With a record of seven wins from eight starts it could be suggested that Volpe Veloce had little to prove when she lined up at Te Rapa on Saturday for her first start of the season.
But past achievements meant nothing to trainers Graham Richardson and Gavin Parker; what mattered to them was how she performed in the lead-up to her first Group One test in a month’s time.
They could hardly have wished for more as Volpe Veloce outclassed her open sprint rivals and won with a minimum effort.
The emphatic message was that she is right on target for her clash with some of the country’s best gallopers in the Tarzino Trophy at Hastings on September 2.
She is now the $5 second favourite for the weight-for-age feature, one point behind defending champion Kawi.
‘‘It was a great result to see her do that,’’ says Graham.
‘‘She’s not the easiest to get a line on as she only ever gallops on her own in training and we never ask her to overdo it.
‘‘That’s what worked for her when she was winning them in a row last season and I figured why would you change anything?
‘‘The Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa in a fortnight is a traditional lead-up to Hastings, but with her we just preferred to give her a longer space from her first-up run. Now we’ve got a month to tick her over and hopefully turn up at Hastings ready to go.’’
Volpe Veloce, who Graham stretched his cheque book to purchase for $240,000 as a yearling and then took a year to syndicate her, won her only two starts as a two-year-old and last season added highlight wins in the Gr. 2 Eight Carat Classic, Gr. 3 Eulogy Stakes and Listed Karaka 3Y0 Mile.
Her unbeaten run ended at start number eight – and her first beyond 1600 metres – when she finished fourth in the Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic at Te Rapa in February, but her return bout at the same venue sent a clear message that she’s ready to rumble on the big stage again.