Potential Group One contender Golden Century will have his chance to shine on Sunday when he steps up to a middle distance on a roomier track.
The highly regarded son of Pierro has yet to open his account and is presented with a grand opportunity to bank a winning cheque in the Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) on the big stage at Ellerslie.
Golden Century ran third in his first two appearances at Taupo and Te Aroha before he changed hands and finished runner-up at Rotorua in his first outing for new owner OTI Racing and will again be ridden by Ryan Elliot.
“He’s a real stayer and has been around tighter circuits and being the big horse he is, he’s going to appreciate the bigger track,” trainer Tony Pike said.
“The 2100m will be right up his alley, he is still a very green horse but he’s improving with racing.”
A top performance in the Salver will likely see Golden Century’s path toward the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) firmed up and his current $31 quote for the Classic tumble.
“He was bought by OTI and his future lies in Australia, but they will look at leaving him here for our Derby depending how he progresses in his next couple of runs,” Pike said.
Golden Century’s stablemates Raziah and Thooza will also continue their build-ups toward more lucrative targets when they step out in the Sistema 3YO (1200m).
Niagara’s daughter Raziah won the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) and the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) in the spring before running eighth in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).
“She had three or four weeks in the paddock and has come back in good order,” Pike said.
“Back right-handed in the north, it will be interesting to see where she fits in and will improve a touch with the run.
“She’s going in without a barrier trial, but she has got plenty of residual fitness from her trip down south.”
Matt Cartwright will take the mount of The Oaks Stud-bred and raced filly who has the $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) on her radar.
“It’s 1200m fresh-up on Sunday and we’ll probably try and work toward that, it’s a short run up hence she’s running instead of a barrier trial,” Pike said.
“If she comes up well enough, we’ll give her a crack at one of the 2000m fillies’ races and take it from there.”
Almanzor filly Thooza is unbeaten in two appearances in the colours of Cambridge Stud and will have the services of Warren Kennedy.
“It was a small field at Taranaki the other day and she was a bit slow to come up in the spring, but her coat has come through now,” Pike said.
“She’s in good order and it will be her first time around Ellerslie and obviously Brendan (Lindsay) has a slot in the big race (NZB Kiwi, 1500m) and he wants to give her a chance of getting there.
“We’ll get through Sunday and if she performs well, we’ll look at something a bit stronger at her next start.”
A leading light among the stable’s older runners at Ellerslie is Trelawney Stud’s in-form mare Acquarello, who runs in the Auckland Co-Op Taxis Handicap (1400m).
She won the Gr.3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in the spring and was runner-up when resuming in the Royal Descent Stakes (1400m) on the course on Boxing Day.
“She needed that run, she’s a very big mare who holds a lot of condition and will improve a lot,” Pike said.
“That’s why we’re running again on the way to the Westbury Classic (Gr.2, 1400m).” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
