Spring Heat set hoping for hot first home run

Matamata trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will produce talented Spring Heat in today’s Hobbiton Movie Set 1200 on her home track, hoping a bold performance could springboard her into Group I Telegraph (1200m) contention.

Spring Heat had been in contention for the Group I Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie next Tuesday, but Scott confirmed she would take her place in the Matamata Rating 82 feature.

‘‘She’ll be running at Matamata. It’s just a matter of getting her campaign under way,’’ he said.

‘‘Her trials have been only OK, but her work has been tremendous so we’re basing our expectations on that. This is a good opportunity to race her on her own track. She’s never run here before but obviously she does all her work here so she’s on familiar ground.

‘‘There’ll be a bit of give in the track, which will suit her, and she’ll sprint well fresh. She’s a talented racehorse and we’re hoping she can perform well.’’

More Than Ready four-yearold Spring Heat races in the Hermitage Thoroughbreds colours that O’Sullivan and Scott have enjoyed much success with through the likes of Willie Cazals and Summer Passage, among others.

A winner of two of her five starts, including the Group III Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie last year, Spring Heat hasn’t raced since her fifth placing in the Group I Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham last January. She was sidelined after surgery to remove a bone chip on her fetlock.

Sweet Leader has been scratched from the Hobbiton Movie Set 1200. He is back in O’Sullivan and Scott’s care after a brief stint in Hong Kong, where he was unplaced in both his starts. Earlier, the O’Reilly entire had won three races for the stable, including the Group III Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa and finished fifth in this year’s Railway at Ellerslie.

Scott is expecting a bold run from the Hermitage Thoroughbreds-raced Autumn Flash in the Meat Co. Matamata 1400. –NZ Racing Desk

‘‘There’ll be a bit of give in the track which will suit [Spring Heat, pictured] and she’ll sprint well fresh . . . we’re hoping she can perform well.’’

Matamata trainer Andrew Scott