Viadana could have a go in Sydney
will then find herself in Sydney for one of the features on day two of what has been dubbed The Championships.
Her target there is the A$1 million Queen of the Turf Stakes, which is also run at weight-for-age for fillies and mares over 1600 metres.
‘‘We’ll go to Te Aroha, see what happens and if she’s in the same form as now there’s no reason not to carry on to Sydney,’’ her trainer says.
‘‘If it doesn’t happen and her season ends with the Breeders’ Stakes we can hardly complain.
‘‘It’s been a fantastic campaign, but to take her Sydney and give her the chance, that would be a great way to sign off the season.’’
Viadana was the headline act of another big day for Matamata horses at Tauranga.
The Ken and Bev Kelso-trained Fix staged a welcome return to form in the main sprint, In Style stepped up to the mark again for Danica Guy to take her winning sequence to four with another impressive performance, and the Moroney- Ormsby- trained She’s Samashing headed a Matamata trifecta when downing Chazelle and Nothing Trivial in the last of the day.
All eyes will be on Sydney next Saturday when Puccini comes up against Australia’s best threeyear- olds in the A$ 500,000 Rosehill Guineas.
Take it from me after watching his final gallop on home soil on Saturday morning that he has thrived since his outstanding New Zealand Derby win.
Puccini and co- trainer Peter McKay headed to Sydney on Monday and will use Saturday’s 2000- metre race as a dress rehearsal for his major objective, the A$2 million Australian Derby on April 12.