Blinkers help to set eyes on prize
Progressive 3-year-old Wewillrock will head to the spelling paddock after a victory at Te Rapa yesterday which has trainer Guy Lowry keen to see how far he can go in his next racing campaign.
Lowry, who prepares the son of Westbury Stud stallion El Roca with training partner Grant Cullen, had been expecting his charge to produce a good showing with a gear change that saw him replace the visor blinkers he wore at his last start with a full set of blinkers yesterday.
Lowry felt the visor blinkers may have cost him the runner-up position behind filly Bonny Lass in the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) last month, when he was out-finished in the last few strides by Wairau Cove when placing third.
Despite a tardy start that cost him half a length yesterday, Wewillrock never looked in danger of defeat against his age-group rivals in the 1100m contest as he charged up against the rail at the point of the home turn for rider Jonathan Riddell, before cruising clear to win virtually untouched by a length-and-a-half.
“He did a bit wrong first up with the visor blinkers on, which may have cost him second,” Lowry said. “[Yesterday] the blinkers went back on and he showed the touch of class that he does have.
“I think he is a very nice horse, who is very versatile as he broke 1m 10s for 1200m when he won here back in December after winning his maiden at Taupo on a heavy9 surface. He handled the heavy again [yesterday], so he is very adaptable.”
Lowry is keen to send Wewillrock to the spelling paddock now before bringing him back for a spring campaign.
“He has done a good job as a 3-year -old, so we might put him away, as there really isn’t anything around for him over the next couple of months,” he said.
“We’ve kept him to the sprint trips, as that was pretty much where we felt he was best suited. However, I can certainly see him going a little further in the future.”
There was no argument from the New Zealand trainers when yesterday’s Doomben Cup meeting was called off before a race was run. But that doesn’t mean their challenges get any easier, as the meeting, featuring the A$1 million Doomben Cup, moves to Wednesday.
New Zealand trainers such as Andrew Forsman, who has The Chosen One in the Doomben Cup, said the decision was obvious and surprised few in rainy Brisbane.
“I don’t really think they had any other choice, so we will go around Wednesday instead,” said Forsman. “I don’t think it changes much, the track will still be heavy but we just hope it is good enough to race on. Tactically, and for the races themselves, not much will change unless there are new scratchings.”
The Chosen One and Coventina Bay taking on Zaaki in the Cup are the two big Kiwi guns now reloading for Wednesday, with Gospodin in a A$250,000 race and the Tony Pike-trained There You Go in a A$125,000 race.