Just over a month out from the biggest week on the South Island’s racing calendar, quality Otago gelding Capo Dell Impero is kicking off a new campaign in the Washrite & Hyde Landscaping Winton Cup (1400m) at Ascot Park on Sunday.
The Ghibellines gelding put together a strong campaign as a five-year-old last season, winning two of his nine starts along with two seconds, two fourths and a fifth. He made his black-type debut in the Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) in late April and immediately showed that he belonged at that level, running a gallant second behind Times Ticking.
Capo Dell Impero has been off the scene since that $100,000 feature, but trainers Brian and Shane Anderton have been pleased with his progress leading into Sunday’s return to action.
“I think he’s coming up pretty well,” Shane Anderton said. “He’s had a couple of jumpouts and is tracking along nicely. We’ve got to get the ball rolling somewhere, and we thought this would be a suitable race for him to kick off.
“He’s pretty forward, but it’s probably a bit short of his best distance. Hopefully he’ll be hitting the line strongly at the end and we can go from there.
“We’re also hoping that the track will keep drying out a little bit more. That would suit him much better.”
The winner of five of his 21 career starts, Capo Dell Impero holds a nomination for the Gr.3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton on November 15. The TAB currently rates him a $41 chance for the $250,000 feature race on the middle day of the New Zealand Cup carnival.
“He does hold a nomination for the Coupland’s, and if everything went well between now and then, we’d be pretty keen to have a shot at it,” Anderton said.
The Anderton stable has three other runners entered for Sunday’s meeting, including the recent recruit Zoey Satin in the Farmers Dipping & Flash AGI Rating 75 (1600m).
The daughter of Zed was previously trained by her part-owner Raymond Connors in the North Island, where she won four of her 24 starts.
Connors sent her south to be served by White Robe Lodge stallion Ancient Spirit, and she ended up stepping out for the Anderton stable and winning at Gore on September 24.
“She was jumping around at the stud, so we decided to give her a run,” Anderton said. “It worked out well and she scored a very nice win at Gore.
“She’s come through that really well, so we’re happy with her. She’s one who doesn’t mind a bit of moisture in the ground, so a heavy track wouldn’t be a concern for her.”
Aglow will make her debut in Sunday’s Sinclair Transport & Advance Agriculture Maiden (1200m).
“She’s drawn out in the car park, which makes her job a bit hard first-up,” Anderton said. “This race is going to be a bit of a learning curve. She’ll probably have to get back, and we’ll just see how she finds the line from there.”