Te Rapa course not too severe for Tevere
Te Rapa has proved to be the happiest of hunting grounds for Tevere and a return to the Waikato course tomorrow may again bring out the best in the gifted mare.
The four-year-old has made five appearances on the course for three wins and a runner-up finish and will bid to add to her record in the 1200m handicap.
Tevere is coming off an unplaced performance in the Listed Flying Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni, but cotrainer Pam Gerard has ruled a line through that effort.
“It was her first trip away and I think we rode her a bit too close to the speed and they ran along quite quickly,” she said.
“She never quite got on the bridle and when they go hard early it’s better to let her find her feet and run home so I wasn’t too concerned about it. She is a good mare.”
Tevere is likely to be given a break after tomorrow’s outing.
“She may go to the paddock after the weekend. She has been up for a while and we just want to give her one more run and give her another good experience, she is very well and she goes well at Te Rapa,” Gerard said.
Stablemate On The Rocks will also be looking to bounce back from an unplaced run in the Group 3 Easter Handicap (1600m) when he steps out in the 1600m race four.
“He has just had no luck whatsoever all season, he’s been in some big races and been caught out wide,” Gerard said.
On The Rocks won the seventh race of his career last month with an expected handicap sprint success.
“He dropped back from a Group 1 (Herbie Dyke Stakes, 2000m) to an open race at Rotorua with 52kg on his back so that was a bit of a given,” Gerard said.
“Unfortunately, he’s just a small horse that has had to carry some big weights and that slows him down a wee bit.”
The stable will also be represented in race six by Amoramio, who was tripped up last time out by a wet track at Awapuni, and a freshened Myrtle Creek.
Meanwhile, talented filly Sassy Merlot has struggled in recent starts with her barrier manners.
“She has got a thing in her head about the gates. There’s no reason for it really, she’s always been super quick out of the gates,” Gerard said.
Despite a slow getaway in the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), Sassy Merlot closed well to be less than four lengths off the winner Bonny Lass.
“She missed the jump and her sectionals were the fastest of the day and she was absolutely superb,” Gerard said.