Wexford Stables took home the major spoils at Tauranga on Saturday, and this weekend, they will venture further afield with class three-year-old Checkmate contesting the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) in Sydney.
Checkmate has impressed in his first racing campaign, winning three races including the Listed Armacup 3YO Stakes (1500m). The son of Mongolian Khan was selected by trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott to represent Wexford in the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), and after settling beautifully in the running, he flashed home into third behind Damask Rose and Evaporate.
Delighted with the Kiwi performance, O’Sullivan and Scott turned their focus to Saturday’s A$600,000 feature, with the gelding set to fly across the Tasman on Monday afternoon.
“He flies out this afternoon and he’ll head to Randwick, where Ashley Handley will be looking after him for the week there,” Scott said.
“We had hopes that he may head this way, and he just pulled up so well from the Kiwi and performed very well in that race.
“The team is really excited, we let him do a bit of work here this morning (Monday) and he worked particularly well. We’re going over there with good levels of confidence that he will race well, but we’re under no illusion that it is a high level of racing.
“It will be interesting to see how he runs out the 2000m, that is another factor for next season if he can run out the distance. That gives him some other options at four.
“We are so looking forward to it.”
Godolphin colt Broadsiding currently tops the TAB market for the Rosehill Guineas at $2.50, with Checkmate in the sixth line of betting at $15. Also featuring prominently are fellow Kiwi-bred three-year-olds Feroce ($11) and Aeliana ($13).
The stable will have a quieter week on home soil, with promising three-year-old Cheaha heading to Trentham for the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m), possibly to be joined multiple stakes-winning filly Sethito.
“Cheaha flew home for third in the Almanzor (Gr.3, 1200m) on Karaka Millions Night, so he’ll be going down for the Wellington Guineas,” Scott said.
“Sethito, if she has a good week, she may also go. She won the Uncle Remus (Listed, 1400m) then possibly didn’t have all favours in the Kiwi.
“They are probably the two-pronged attack heading there.”
Back in Matamata, Wexford are celebrating a particularly satisfying victory in the Gr.2 Japan Trophy (1600m) by their beloved Waitak. The son of Proisir was stepping back from elite-level company at Tauranga and showed his class, dominating a quality field by three lengths under a top ride by Ryan Elliot.
“It was a well-deserved win for the horse, he’s been so consistent and honest at the very highest level all season,” Scott said. “It was great for the Devines who own him, they follow him with keen interest and it’s fantastic for them.
“It was a really good result for the team who have put in a lot of work behind the scenes with him, we’re tickled pink.”
The versatile gelding will now step back out to a distance he hasn’t raced at in nearly two years, taking on the Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2000m) next Saturday at Trentham.
“We will step back out to the 2000m again while his fitness levels are high and he’s settling well in his races,” Scott said.
“His run there will indicate what we do with him next season, but he’s certainly strong at the mile and if he can run 2000m, that opens up a lot of options for him next summer.”
A stakes assignment in the Central Districts also looms for Grande Gallo, after she continued her affinity with Tauranga in the Triton Pacific Owens Plate (1200m).
“It was a terrific win by her, she loves Tauranga and it was a super ride from George (Rooke).” Scott said. “She’s got a huge syndicate who get great delight from seeing her winning, which is what it’s all about.
“She’s a big, powerful mare that we’ve taken along pretty quietly, because she’s a big girl that we didn’t want to push on the hard ground. We dodged that real summer quick ground and the team’s patience is being rewarded.
“She’ll probably run next on the 12th of April down in the Hawke’s Bay Sprint (Listed, 1200m), but she may go to Te Aroha a fortnight before for an Open 1100m as well.
“She’s a lightly-tried mare that is only going to continue to get better with age.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
