Juveniles take pride of place
Experience and inside barriers may be the key to unlocking the outcome of two competitive juvenile events at Avondale today.
Last-start runner Maia’s Angel looks a strong chance to claim the AJC Supporters 800, while the wellrelated duo of Glamazon and Dancing Donna have the draws to be competitive in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series 800.
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Maia’s Angel has placed three times in her four-start career and last time out she performed well to finish second behind the highly rated Copy Watch at Ruakaka.
Afreen finished a fair sixth on debut and could be a sharp improver on a better track. By Perfectly Ready, his dam is an unraced sister to the South African group one performer Solid Choice.
Trial performer Glamazon, a sister to smart sprinting mare Sequin, will also have the benefit of Kelly Joyce’s maximum claim, while Dancing Donna is the first foal of the Newmarket Hcp and Railway Stakes runner-up Dashing Donna.
Glamazon’s stablemate Stunner is a half-sister to the Rosehill Guineas winner Zabrasive with a trial win to back her claims, while Celtic Lass and Nothinlyker have also been successful at the trials.
Later on the programme, the Vivid Computers 1400 will present Merrily with a good opportunity to further her record. She finished in the money at her first four starts before she won at Hastings by a wide margin.
“She’s got quality there,” trainer Jason Bridgman said. “She’s a halfsister to Glad, that we trained to win the Anniversary Hcp, from a very good family.”
Great Northern Hurdles prospect Just Got Home will resume his flat career this weekend.
The Rudy Liefting-trained 6-yearold has won five times in that role and will start at either the Whangarei or Manawatu meetings on Saturday.
“Long-term, the plan is to aim at the Great Northern, but in the meantime he might go to either Ruakaka or down to Palmerston North with the others,” Liefting’s wife, Megan, said.
“Istimagic will run in the Awapuni Hurdles and Pasha Sumore will run on the flat.” Istimagic beat Back In Black in her first appearance over fences at Ellerslie last time out, while recent recruit Pasha Sumore, a fivetime winner, has placed in one of her two appearances for the stable.
Just Got Home was also successful in his hurdle debut at Te Rapa, where he accounted for the former Auckland Cup placegetter El Soldado, and then finished runner-up to the accomplished Sea King in the KS Browne Hurdle.
He is a son of the dual New Zealand Oaks and 1000 Guineas winner Justa Tad and his half-brother Move Faster is back in work after he was sidelined in the spring after an open handicap success at New Plymouth.
“He had bone chips in a back fetlock and there was quite a bit of damage,” Liefting said. “They’ve all been removed and we’re taking it pretty slowly at the moment so there’s a bit of a question mark on him.
“We’ll give him a chance, but if he doesn’t come back then we might look at sending a mare or two to him — we could have our own backyard stallion.”