Honours on line for southern sprinter
Enzo’s Lad will be joined in the race by Son Of Maher
National honours might be on the line for Enzo’s Lad in his return to Trentham today. The Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) winner, who also claimed the Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton in the spring, will run in the Listed Te Akau Racing Lightning Handicap (1200m).
“If he can win on Saturday then he would have to be right in line for Sprinter of the Year,” co-trainer Michael Pitman said.
He will be joined in the race by the well-performed Son Of Maher, runner-up behind stablemate Montoya Star at Hastings last time out.
“Son Of Maher has been working terrific, possibly the distance is a bit short for him, but with Ferrando in, there will be a solid pace and we’re taking a calculated gamble,” Pitman said.
The stable has other black type contenders today with Czechoslovakia in the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) while Montoya Star runs in the Gr.3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes (1600m). Pinup Coup will drop back in trip for Thee Auld Floozie Premier (1600m).
A winner two runs back, Pinup Coup was galloped on and found the Lowland Stakes (2100m) a trip too far last time out.
“Czechoslovakia is a lovely horse, he’s been working well and it was a good run in the Dunedin Guineas for third,” Pitman said.
“Montoya Star was really impressive at Hastings.
“It was a great ride by Michael McNab and she’s been set for the Cuddle since the Wellington Cup meeting.”
● Talented Matamata galloper Hello M’Lady is poised to hand trainer Vicki Prendergast the biggest win of her career in today’s Gr.3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.
The four-year-old Shocking mare goes into the race second-up for her preparation after scampering home for eighth at Matamata resuming last month.
She clocked the quickest last
600m split of a race won off the front.
“She’s pretty well. She ran home beautifully here last time. She just got hung out the back, but she got home well,” Prendergast said.
A winner of three of her 18 starts, Hello M’Lady placed in the Listed Wanganui Guineas (1340m) and Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie last season, as well as finishing a luckless fifth in the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki.
She proved she had come back a stronger mare when she finished fourth in the Listed Jakkalberry Classic (1950m) at Rotorua in the spring, a performance that has prompted Prendergast to target the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa next month.
But first, there’s the Cuddle Stakes and, should she perform well in today’s set-weights and penalties fillies and mares feature, the Gr.1 Fiber Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Te Aroha on April 7 and the Gr.2 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Pukekohe on April 21 will be considered.
“She runs out the mile well and I’m pretty happy with her,” Prendergast said. “I’d like to go to Te Aroha, but we’ve got to get some points on Saturday to make sure she gets a start,” she said.
TAB bookmakers opened Hello M’Lady as an $18 outsider for the Cuddle Stakes after she drew barrier 15 but Prendergast, who has engaged premiership-leading jockey Sam Collett to ride, was confident her charge was a winning chance.
“I expect her to run a nice race. She’s drawn the carpark, but she’ll run well. She has to go forward from that draw,” Prendergast said.
“She’s galloping beautifully and I’m really happy with her.
“Certainly she’s a winning chance. I wouldn’t be going down there if I didn’t think so.”