Buyers have been circling around emerging three-year-old Wewillrock and interest is sure to intensify if he continues the strong start he has made to his career at Te Rapa on Saturday.
The son of El Roca will step out for the fourth time when he runs in the NZTR & WRC Thank Michael O’Toole (1200m), in which he will have the added bonus of Opie Bosson taking the reins.
Wewillrock produced a late finish for third at Rotorua earlier this month following a setback after he had broken his maiden in style at Taupo in October.
“He is a promising horse and there has been a lot of interest in him, but at the moment we are heading toward the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m),” said Guy Lowry, who prepares the gelding with Grant Cullen.
“It was a good run last time and he hadn’t raced for a while due to an injury. He cut his leg, but he’s fine now.”
The stable also has plans to run Candle, an impressive debut winner at Wanganui toward the end of last month, in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m) on the Karaka Million undercard at Ellerslie on January 22.
“She is very good and she may run next in a Rating 65 over 1200m at Hastings on New Year’s Eve. I didn’t want her to clash with Wewillrock at Te Rapa so we’ll wait and then she might head up for that Group Three race.”
Quality mare Shezzacatch will accompany Wewillrock north with an outing in the Print House Handicap (1400m) at Te Rapa a forerunner to a possible Group One tilt.
“She has been freshened and has done well, she just won’t want a wet track. It was a good run last time out at Riccarton,” Lowry said.
“She is entered for the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m), but it did stuff us up a bit when they didn’t race at Trentham the other week. We had wanted to give her a run down the straight there.”
Shezzacatch won the Listed El Roca – Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) on debut last season and placed in the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).
She kicked off her current campaign with a pair of minor placings and hasn’t raced since she finished powerfully after a tardy start for fifth in the Gr.3 Stewards’ Stakes Handicap (1200m).
Completing the Te Rapa line-up for the stable is Five Fortune, who is a lightly tried six-year-old part-owned by Cullen and starts in the Lodge Property Management Mile (1600m).
He was out of the money last time out on his home track after a close second when resuming at Wanganui.
Meanwhile, Can I Get An Amen is entered in the Capture Signs/Interbuilding 1200m at Awapuni on Saturday, but is a doubtful runner.
“She is unlikely to start on a really wet track. I like her on a 7 or 8 rating, but I’m not okay with her on a 10 or 11,” Lowry said.
Most recently, Can I Get An Amen produced a late finish for sixth in the Listed Levin Stakes (1200m) while stablemate Mohaka also gave a good account of herself last time out when sixth in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m).
Mohaka will attempt to go one better in the Taupo Cup (2000m) on December 30 after finishing runner-up to subsequent multiple Group winner Beauden in last year’s edition. – NZ Racing Desk
