Roger James gave his seal of approval to glamour mare Orchestral following her hit-out at Taupo on Wednesday.
The Cambridge trainer, who prepares the daughter of Savabeel with Robert Wellwood, was more than happy with her performance in an 1100m heat of the Fiber Fresh Group Trials held before the race meeting.
“We came here with a job to do and achieved that. We’ve been pretty careful with her, she had a big puff afterwards and she’ll probably go to Ellerslie to trial again,” James said.
The dual Group One winner sat wide at the back of the field before picking up ground and worked home in tidy fashion to finish third.
“That was very nice, she jumped quite well and there wasn’t a lot of pace and I was caught out on a limb,” rider Craig Grylls said.
“She came off the bridle turning in and then got home well. She has definitely strengthened, it’s brilliant the way she is coming up.”
The trial was won by the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained Captured By Love, who lobbed along in second spot for Opie Bosson before running down her pace-making stablemate Dream Of The Moon.
Written Tycoon filly Captured By Love won the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and the Gr.3 Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m) last season and was also a two-time Group One placegetter.
“It was a really good trial and we’ll look at the Gold Trail Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m) all going well,” Bergerson said.
“Dream Of The Moon could potentially go to the Wanganui Guineas (Listed, 1200m), again with a watch on the weather.”
Crocetti tightened in the market for the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) to a dominant $2.20 favourite following his all the way 1100m trial victory.
Last season’s Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner will bid to retain his unbeaten four-year-old record on the opening day of the Hawke’s Bay carnival following his recent resuming victory.
“He’s come through it (Ruakaka) very well. I just wanted to give him a nice gallop and it was a good outing for him heading toward Hastings,” co-trainer Danny Waker said.
Regular rider Warren Kennedy is confident Crocetti will strip in prime order for the Tarzino.
“He is in a fantastic spot and he will be ready in a couple of weeks,” he said.
“He pricked his ears all the way and he was just waiting for something to come at him, and when it did he kicked into another gear.”
The opening heat at Taupo was claimed by the frontrunning Faraglioni with last season’s Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m) runner-up on target to take on Crocetti in the Tarzino.
“She needed that hit-out and she’ll run in the Tarzino and then we’ll reassess from there,” trainer Josh Shaw said.
“Last season was beyond expectations, and she should be in for another good one.”
Faraglioni accounted for Grail Seeker, also bound for Hastings carnival, and the reigning Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes champion Move To Strike who may resume in the Listed El Roca – Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m).
Quality mare Pearl Of Alsace has all three of the Hawke’s Bay features on her program and she left co-trainer Shaun Ritchie a touch disappointed after she finished fifth in the heat.
“I expected a little better, she was a bit keen early and got very tired late,” he said.
“She will take improvement and will need to. She’ll run in the Tarzino and the last leg (the Gr.1 Livamol Classic, 2040m) is her grand final.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
