Richardson trio seek spoils
‘‘Mentally, she’s very tough . . . she’s going in the right direction.’’
The three horses racing for Graham Richardson this weekend are all chasing group success at Trentham.
Lauberhorn, Strada Cavallo and Tessastock, all three-year-old fillies, left Richardson’s Matamata stable at 4.30am on Friday and arrived at Trentham about eight hours later.
‘‘They all travelled very well,’’ Richardson said.
Lauberhorn’s mission is Saturday’s Group II $100,000 Wellington Guineas, while Strada Cavallo and Tessastock are earmarked for the Group I $300,000 New Zealand Oaks.
Swiss Ace filly Lauberhorn has had a rewarding season with three wins and two seconds from 10 starts.
She looked good winning her latest start when dashing to the front at the 800m and galloping strongly to the post in a three-yearold race (1400m) at Matamata on February 27.
Guineas rival The Justice League charged home from the rear for second.
‘‘Mentally, she’s very tough . . . she’s going in the right direction,’’ Richardson said of Lauberhorn. Strada Cavallo will be ridden by Chris Johnson, who has won the NZ Oaks four times. The daughter of Alamosa sits fourth (11.5 points) in the NZ Bloodstock Three-YearOld Filly of the Year Series, which finishes with the Oaks.
She trails Sofia Rosa (14), Mime (14) and Risque (12).
Strada Cavallo has been highly competitive in the three-year-old classics this season.
She displayed her class in the John Grigg Stakes (won), at Ashburton, 1000 Guineas (second) at Riccarton, Lowland Stakes (second) at Hastings and Desert Gold Stakes (third) at Trentham.
‘‘Her work’s been very good,’’ Richardson said on Friday.
Maiden three-year-old Tessastock was a game fifth in the Lowland Stakes after being ridden along early to settle second at Hastings on March 2.
‘‘The track was a Dead5 and Tessastock didn’t handle it’’, Richardson said.
There is a possibility she could head to the Queensland winter carnival.