Star filly won’t burn out, says trainer
SUPERSTAR filly Prom Queen’s list of problems heading into tomorrow’s One Thousand Guineas at Riccarton are like a wish list for most horses.
The main conjecture in racing circles is whether or not the brilliant Ruakaka filly is too brilliant to see out the 1600m of tomorrow’s $300,000 group 1 feature.
If brilliance is a horse’s main concern, then Ken Rae, who trains the horse with wife Lisa and daughter Krystal Williams, would not mind a stable full of problem horses.
That is especially considering Rae has huge confidence that his star 3yrold will run out the distance strongly.
‘‘If she doesn’t, I won’t blame the mile. I just cannot see her not running the mile and in her own agegroup at least.
‘‘There will be no excuses.’’ Prom Queen has come through her laststart win at Ashburton in excellent order, apart from one slight hiccup.
The horse has been heard coughing since then, but the issue was put down to the dry and dusty Riccarton training centre, the result of a fine spell of Christchurch weather, Rae said.
The horseman has taken every precaution with the horse, with regular veterinary monitoring and going as far as relocating his southern team to Prebbleton.
‘‘That is what you have got to do,’’ Rae said.
‘‘This is a grand final and when you have got really good horses and you are racing for big money, you have got to do everything you can do; everything 120%, not 90%.’’
Dry Canterbury weather does give the Super Easy 3yrold one advantage going into tomorrow’s race.
Prom Queen has proven herself in good company on good ground this campaign, whereas her main rival, Dijon Bleu, raced on soft and heavy ground in her recent hattrick of group and listed wins.
Though as well as her recent form, Dijon Bleu does bring in winning form on a good track from her 2yrold campaign.
Third favourite Swing Note only adds to the North Island’s strong hold on the race, bringing in the excellent form of running third to Two Thousand Guineas placegetter Ever Loyal in her last start.
The Ken and Lisa Rae and Krystal Williams stable also has outsider Inanna in the event.
The filly’s laststart effort, where she got pushed wide, should be overlooked but her good northern form gave her claims in the race, Ken Rae said.
The RaeWilliams stable lines up equal topweight Kaharau in tomorrow’s group 3 New Zealand Cup.
The 6yrold will carry 59kg, the same weight as the favourite, Pentathlon.
Kaharau ran seventh in the race last year, but has had a much better preparation than his leadup to last year’s event, in which he missed two runs through abandoned meetings, Rae said.
‘‘I think he has got a seriously live chance.
‘‘I would have liked him to have a little bit less weight, but you get the weight for a reason.’’
Though the John Wheelertrained Pentathlon has not won since December 2015, the horse brings exceptional form into tomorrow’s 3200m feature.
The 6yrold ran third in the traditional Melbourne Cup leadup, the Lexus Stakes at Flemington on Victorian Derby day, earlier this month.
Pentathlon finished less than half a length from the winner, Cismontane, who ran 13th in the Melbourne Cup.
Runnerup Vengeur Masque went on to win the group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes later in Melbourne Cup week.