Two-horse race looms at Otaki¯
‘‘All I can do is worry about my horse, and he is fit and well, and ready to rumble.’’
It’s 1-1 between Callsign Mav and Avantage this season, and the Group I El Cheapo Cars Weight-For-Age Classic (1600m) at O¯ taki today is set to decide the deadlock between the pair.
Callsign Mav was an upset victor when taking out the Group I Tarzino Trophy (1400m) on the opening day of the Hawke’s Bay spring carnival last September, while Avantage evened the score at Te Rapa this month when winning the Group I BCD Group Sprint (1400m).
Callsign Mav’s trainer John Bary was pleased with his gelding’s runner-up effort at Te Rapa, particularly with the sectional times he ran.
‘‘He ran the fastest 800, 600, 400 and 200m in the race. It was the fastest 200m of the day, quicker than Levante who missed the start,’’ he said.
‘‘He [Callsign Mav] got the sweet trip on the first day of the carnival and beat her, she was three-wide.
‘‘The other day she [Avantage] got the sweet trip and we were second. It’s one-all and let’s go again.’’
The Group I feature has attracted only seven starters, but Bary said there was still plenty of quality in the field.
‘‘It’s not a huge field, but Avantage is obviously in there, and Shadows Cast and Travelling Light are both Group I winners, so you can’t poo-poo them,’’ he said. ‘‘Deerfield is racing well, so you take any other horse at your own peril, but at the end of the day all I can do is worry about my horse, and he is fit and well, and ready to rumble.
‘‘He is happy and his work has been good. He had a good hit-out in town [Hastings] on the course on Monday.’’
John Bary
Trainer of Callsign Mav
After the weekend, Bary is eyeing the Group II City Of Palmerston North Awapuni Gold Cup (2000m) with Callsign Mav.
‘‘All going well there is a 2000m race at Awapuni on April 3,’’ Bary said.
‘‘We want to stretch him out for that to see if we can open up some more doors for him in the spring.’’
TAB bookmakers have installed Callsign Mav a $5 second favourite behind Avantage at $1.25.
Avantage can bolster her prospects of a tilt across the Tasman in today’s race.
The five-year-old mare is the first to win New Zealand’s three major sprint races in one season, having completed the Railway-Telegraph-BCD Group Sprint treble at her past three starts.
‘‘She has got to win well and we will probably run her in the Bonecrusher [Group I, 2000m on March 13] and then Jamie (Richards, trainer) and I will sit down and have a chat and make up our mind whether we go to Sydney or go to Brisbane,’’ Te Akau Stud’s principal David Ellis said.
‘‘There are a couple of really nice options in Brisbane and she has won a Group I at 1200m, 1400m, 1600m and 2000m, so that is pretty incredible and shows her versatility.’’ –