Railway favourite produces solid hit-out in trial win

Exciting mare Levante was in action at the Te Aroha trials yesterday, winning her 1000m heat by a head from another talented 4-year-old in Entriviere.

Levante set tongues wagging with a stunning last-to-first victory in the Listed Counties Bowl ( 1100m) last month and has been backed into $2.80 favourite for the Group 1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.

Yesterday, the Ken and Bev Kelsotrained daughter of Proisir cruised up under raceday jockey Sam Collett but had to dig deep to get the better of Entriviere, with the pair six lengths ahead of stakes-placed 3-year-old Suffused in third.

“She had a nice hit-out [yesterday] before the Railway,” Ken Kelso said. “We had the option of either going to Ellerslie for a gallop or coming here [to Te Aroha] and having a trial, and I was quite happy with the trial.

“Sam Collett was really pleased. I said to her she’ll want to do a bit but I was also mindful that the track is quite firm, so I said to her to not give her too hard a trial. I think she did enough.

“I’ve got the option of giving her an exhibition gallop at Matamata as well leading up to the Railway. I’ll get her home and see how she’s come through this.

“She had a decent blow [yesterday] but she’d want to because there’s got to be improvement in her.”

The winner of five of her six career starts, Levante’s only defeat came when second in the Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) after bombing the start.

Kelso, who makes no secret of the high regard in which he holds Levante, is not fazed by the hype surrounding the mare but said that could change leading into her Group 1 mission.

“I’ve been around a bit, so I’m coping all right,” he said.

“I don’t know about the last few days leading up to it, but she’s quite straightforward. She’s good to deal with and handle, and the owners leave me alone and let me do with her what I want.”

Kelso reported high-class mare Supera had come through her weekend exertions without issue, having closed well for second behind onspeed runner Showoroses in the Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.

The multiple Group 2 winner, who is in-foal to US Navy Flag, will have one last tilt at a Group 1 when she contests the Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day before joining owner Sir Peter Vela’s broodmare band at Pencarrow Stud.

“I was pleased with her run and it was just the pattern of the day,” Kelso said. “It was the same in the Waikato Cup, they couldn’t peg back the winner.

“Showoroses went to the front and it was hard to peg back horses on the day and I thought she ran home nicely.

“As a lead-up to go 2000m, I thought it was quite a good run. She’s come through it well, she seemed bright as a button [yesterday] morning and hit out nicely, which is the main thing.

“In two weeks, she should be pretty right to go 2000m as her final run.”