Hard act for Shuka to follow in Windsor Park at Trentham
SHUKA will be out to continue his love affair with the Trentham mile in the rescheduled Windsor Park Plate today.
The 7-year-old gelding has raced twice over 1600m at the track, winning the past two Captain Cook Stakes at Group I level.
He also won the Group II Wakefield Challenge Stakes over 1200m as a two-year-old in his only other race at Trentham.
He was meant to run in the Windsor Park Plate on it’s original date of September 19 at Hastings but missed the race when the meeting was abandoned and hasn’t had a run since his first-up second behind Antonio Lombardo at Ruakaka on September 12.
Peter Williams, who trains Shuka with his wife, Dawn, and Paul Richards, said he was pleased with the horse’s work since then, but was concerned about the long break between races.
“He should go a good race, I’m happy with him. He’s probably going into the race one short, but he’s an old warhorse and I’m happy enough with him as long as the track doesn’t get too wet.
“He can handle anything, but being an older horse early in his campaign I wouldn’t want it too wet.”
The track was rated a dead five on Friday, with a fine day predicted for Saturday.
Trentham’s roomy surrounds are ideal for Shuka, who likes to get back and come home with a strong late run, something he will have to do on Saturday after drawing 11 in the 13-horse field.
“He’s always gone well there, I’m not sure why he likes it so much but it’s probably the big swooping track which gives him more time to get balanced up,” Williams said.
Safely through the Windsor Park Plate, Shuka will be back at Trentham on December 5 for a crack at his third successive Captain Cook Stakes, before progressing towards the Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day
He rates as a $10 shot today with the Lee Somervell-trained Addictive Habit a $3.80 favourite coming back to the mile from his 2000m win in the Group I Livamol Classic on October 3.
Shuka and Addictive Habit are joined by Nashville ($10) as the only Group I weight-for-age winners in the field, but there are a number of up-and-comers who loom large ntsD in behind them nte .
Allez Eagle ($6.50) and last season’s 1000 Guineas win ner Platinum Witness ($5) have strong form behind them, while Recite ($6.50) has three wins and a placing from four starts on the track.
Kisses, who beat Recite last start, Julinsky Prince and Waika ha are capable of winning.