Winning double a choice result
Derby runner a staying proposition
Karen Fursdon is expecting both her runners at Te Aroha today to give good accounts of themselves.
The Matamata trainer will be represented by Sunbeam in the Frank & Annie Matijasevich Memorial 1200 and Odin’s Choice in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race.
“Both of them are going super and they have taken good improvement out of their fresh-up runs,” Fursdon said.
“Sunbeam is a lot fitter now and I’m very happy with her.”
The 5-year-old, who finished in behind the placegetters after a tardy start when resuming at Avondale, has a history of striking form early in her preparations and rider Michael Coleman has been aboard the mare in three of her four wins.
Stablemate Odin’s Choice has weighed in five times from her eight starts and was given a break after she Patience is the key to Sound Proposition realising his full potential and his trainers are prepared to give the 3-year-old all the time he needs.
The son of Savabeel came a long way in a short time in his first preparation that resulted in a third placing behind the star Australasian 3year-olds Mongolian Khan and Volkstok’n’barrell in the New Zealand Derby.
“He’s still quite an immature horse so we’re giving him a nice break,” said Lance O’Sullivan, who prepares Sound Proposition at Matamata with Andrew Scott.
“He’s a very lightly framed type was in the money at Wairoa in February.
She returned at Te Awamutu earlier this month and finished fourth after being in front to the turn.
“She will appreciate the 2kg off her back and I’m looking forward to the chances of both runners,” Fursdon said.
Stable apprentice Anna Jones, who is enjoying her best season with 26 winners, will take the mount on Odin’s Choice.
The 23-year-old’s Te Aroha book also includes the in-form Antony Fuller-trained Mareeba in the Karl Davis Real Estate 1200 and Chequesinthemail in the Waihou Tavern Maiden.
Prepared by John Bell and Mark Donoghue, his last-start third at Matamata suggested he will be a player again in the 2200m novice contest. and if we look after him and be patient he’s going to be a really good racehorse.”
Sound Proposition ran fifth on debut on his home track in November and two starts later he opened his account at Tauranga.
He again beat the older horses on Karaka Million night at Ellerslie with subsequent stakes performer Arrow In The Sand finishing runner-up.
Sound Proposition was a solid sixth in the Avondale Guineas before he came from well back in the field to run third in the Auckland classic in February.
“We got him back seven weeks after the Derby and had him in the stable for a week before we decided it wasn’t the right thing for him and we put him back out,” O’Sullivan said.
The Hawkes Bay carnival has been ruled out for Sound Proposition with Wexford Stables taking a much longer-term approach with the gelding.
“We plan to have him back and ready around Christmas time and target a race like the Auckland Cup,” O’Sullivan said.
The training partners will saddle up two runners at Te Aroha today: Avimore (R5) and Keepherinmind (R8).