Trainer Mark Walker is hoping his talented mare Skew Wiff can bring her New Zealand form to Flemington on Saturday where she will line-up in the Gr.2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m).
The Waikato Stud bred and raced four-year-old made a great start to her spring preparation in her homeland, finishing runner-up in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa in August before scoring her maiden Group One victory in the Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings last month.
Her performance sealed her trip across the Tasman to join Te Akau Racing’s newly-established Cranbourne barn and Walker is hoping she can continue the stable’s great start in Victoria.
“She carries the Group One winners’ penalty, but she has earnt it, she is a Group One winner and we think that she is a nice mare,” Walker told Racing.com.
“She did have all favours in the Tarzino, she had a nice draw. She has a very short sprint and Opie (Bosson) tactically rode a brilliant race to hold her up as long as he could.”
The daughter of Savabeel was runner-up in the Gr.1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m), and Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) last year, and Walker believes she will be ideally suited to the A$10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) in Sydney next month.
“She was placed in a couple of Group One races as a three-year-old but probably 1400m is her pet trip and if she went well enough (on Saturday) we would consider going up to Sydney for the Golden Eagle,” Walker said.
Meanwhile, Walker reported stable star Imperatriz has come through her win in the last Saturday’s Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley in good order and is on track to return to the Melbourne course later this month to contest the Gr.1 Manikato Stakes (1200m).
“She was a little bit scratchy the next day but by Sunday she was pretty good and was pretty bouncy again, so we are really happy,” Walker said.
“It (Manikato) should be really good for her. She is pretty versatile, as a three-year-old she won up to a mile, so 1200m will be a perfect fit.
“She will probably go and have a look at Flemington one morning, we are hoping (prior to the Manikato). I will have a chat with Ben (Gleeson, assistant trainer), but we might even be able to take her back to The Valley on the Monday or Tuesday before she runs there again as it is four weeks to the Manikato.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
