Volpe Veloce or Kawi for Tarzino?

Melbourne Cup first entries

Volpe Veloce holds a short margin over Kawi in the early market for the Tarzino Trophy, first leg of the Hawke’s Bay triple crown at Hastings on Saturday.

The TAB opened its final field book on Wednesday with Volpe Veloce, a three-year-old star last season, at $3, ahead of Kawi, who is chasing his third consecutive win in the Group I 1400m feature.

The only other horse in single figures - at $7 - was Foxbridge Plate winner Underthemoonlight, whose connections will be relishing the showery forecast for Thursday and Friday ahead of the big race. The Hastings track was rated a Slow 7 on Wednesday morning.

Gingernuts was at $17 and his trainers aren’t expecting any firstup fireworks from their charge.

The Caulfield Cup prospect will begin his spring preparation in the $200,000 race, followed by a return to Hastings for the second leg, the Windsor Park Plate, on September 23, NZ Racing Desk reports.

‘‘The 1400 metres will be too short for him on Saturday,’’ said Jamie Richards, who trains in partnership with Stephen Autridge. ‘‘He’ll get back and be running on at the finish, but it’s Gingernuts was one of 10 New Zealand-trained horses entered for the $6 million Melbourne Cup after first entries closed yesterday.

The others are its stablemate Chance To Dance; Bonneval, Jon Snow and Lizzie L’amour from the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stable; Charles Road (Lance O’sullivan and Andrew Scott); Chocante (Stephen Marsh), Megablast (Nigel Tiley), Pentathlon

not his race against the likes of Kawi, Perfect Fit and Volpe Veloce.

‘‘He will go back to run in the mile and then, all going well, he could go to Melbourne but that will be decided after the Windsor Park.’’

Gingernuts also holds a nomination for the final leg of the Triple Crown series, but he is unlikely to be in the mix for the Livamol Classic on October 7. It and the Tarzino and Windsor Park Plate are all Group I events.

‘‘Three trips down to Hastings might be a bit much, history says it is,’’ Richards said.

The dual Group I winner of the New Zealand Derby and the (John Wheeler) and Rock On (Gary Vile).

Bonneval, Chance To Dance, Charles Road, Chocante, Gingernuts, Jon Snow, Lizzie L’amour and Pentathlon are also entered for the A$3 million Caulfield Cup to be run on October 21, along with Sofia Rosa, who is also trained by Marsh.

The Melbourne Cup is run on November 7.

Rosehill Guineas has improved with each of his trial outings this month. He pleased when running on late in his most recent appearance at Taupo without his usual raceday blinkers.

‘‘He’s a pretty laid back sort of horse and when Opie (Bosson) gave him a couple of backhanders he finished on strongly and showed he was going the right way,’’ Richards said.

Gingernuts galloped at Matamata on Tuesday morning and received a favourable report from his race day rider Bosson.

‘‘It was very foggy and he couldn’t be timed, but Opie was happy with him,’’ Richards said.

- Stuff and NZ Racing Desk