Marsh pair to chase Belle home
Trainer rates Santa Catarina in race two as his best hope
In-form trainer Stephen Marsh holds two of the keys to tomorrow’s $250,000 Livamol Classic at Hastings. And while he doesn’t expect either Crown Prosecutor or Vernanme to deny red hot favourite Melody Belle the Hawke’s Bay Triple Crown, the pair could play crucial roles in the race in vastly different ways.
Vernanme is one of the newcomers to the Triple Crown’s final leg after being allowed to bypass the Windsor Park Plate two weeks ago in favour of the open mile at Pukekohe the next day, which he won.
One of our elite three-year-olds last season he is only a two-race winner so hardly well placed at weight-forage but is still the equal second favourite alongside Mongolian Marshal at $9 but a long, long way behind the $1.25 quote for Melody Belle. And Marsh says that is fair. “We are realists and know we probably can’t beat her, all things in the run being equal,” says Marsh.
“But in racing anything can happen and it isn’t even raceday yet.
“But if we all get there and they run up to their ability with no bad luck then we might be racing for second.”
Of course Marsh is no stranger to pulling off stunning group one upsets, having won the Vodafone Derby at Ellerslie last season with 100-1 chance Crown Prosecutor.
But it is the tactics he is suggesting with that four-year-old tomorrow that might interest punters most.
Crown Prosecutor got locked in a three-way battle for the lead in the Windsor Park Plate, which not only undid him but set up the race for the swoopers, led by Melody Belle.
Up to 2040m and as a free-running Derby winner he could be expected to go forward again and inject some genuine tempo into the race alongside local Peso but Marsh says they won’t be his instructions.
“I don’t want him ridden forward,” he told the Herald.
“He did himself no favours last time and I am keen to see him ridden with a sit, even if that means back of midfield.
“So we definitely won’t be planning to go forward. I want to see him get comfortable and into a rhythm.”
With Crown Prosecutor one of the most likely go forward horses in the race, if he settles then the chances of Peso working to the lead look more likely and that would give the longstriding local at least a great place chance in a race where there might be little pressure. Peso may be down on group one weight-for-age form but he was brave when leading and running fourth in the open mile on the first day of the carnival and then won stepping up in distance last time.
On his home track for three starts in a row whereas many of his rivals have had to make the long trip to Hastings, some for all three days, he is a first4 must.
Marsh finds himself chasing a red hot favourite again in tomorrow’s $100,000 Hawke’s Bay Guineas.
Catalyst is a $1.28 shot after two massive recent wins, including the Breeders Stakes at Ruakaka in which he ran down the Marsh-trained Exuberant far easier than he should have been able to.
“He looks a bit of a freak Catalyst so I think we might all be running for second there,” says Marsh.
With two red hot favourites in the main races of the day Marsh rates Santa Catarina in race two as his best hope.
“She won her latest trial really well and has come back looking in fantastic order,” he offers.
“So I think she could be in for a big season.”