Peter Lock’s focus this week is on the Central Districts where he will have runners at two meetings and the prospect of travelling one of his contenders further afield.
The Te Aroha trainer will saddle three chances at Thursday’s Hawke’s Bay fixture while She’s A Maneater’s performance in Saturday’s Listed Powerworx Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth might earn her a trip to Australia.
However, his immediate centre of attention will be at Hastings where the well-related Sheza Flyer debuts in the Ross Dyer Livestock Maiden (1200m) and juveniles Agatha and Shez Shamus make their first appearances in the Farmers Transport 2YO (1200m).
Sheza Flyer has a lot to live up to as the sister to Lock’s now retired multiple Group Three winner Hiflyer.
“He looked like he had come right and he ran second at his last start in the spring, but there was just a little bit of heat at the top of his tendon after that,” he said of his former Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) runner-up.
“We got him scanned and the vet said there was nothing wrong and we could press on, but he had been too good a horse to me and we decided to retire him.”
To be ridden by Johnathan Parkes, Sheza Flyer drew attention to her prospects with a runaway trial win at Te Rapa last month.
“We have always had a big opinion of her and she’s had a few niggly problems, which we have ironed out,” Lock said.
“She’s at the right age, she likes wet ground and we’ve got a good rider on her.
“She’s pretty similar to Hiflyer, but he did have a lot more class than this mare. I am pretty confident we will get a bit of black type with her though, she has always showed an awful lot.”
Lock’s two-year-olds Agatha, a daughter of Sooboog, and Shez Shamus have also both shaped promisingly at the trials with placed efforts at their most recent outings.
“They are both very fit and well, but there is a question mark over the ground with Agatha and I have a high opinion of the Shamus Award filly,” he said. “I think she will end up a really nice three-year-old staying filly.”
Jasmine Fawcett has been booked to ride Agatha while Joe Kamarudin will partner Shez Shamus.
Proven stablemate She’s A Maneater successfully returned from a six-month break last month at Tauranga over 1200m for the fifth victory of her 12-start career and book a crack at the Opunake Cup.
“She has come through her fresh-up run very, very well. She galloped at Matamata on Tuesday and Cameron Lammas rode her and got off and thought she was right on the mark,” Lock said.
“She was terrific first-up and 1400m on Saturday will be way short of her best, but she loves the wet ground.”
Raced by breeders Gerard Petersen under his Gee Gee Equine banner and Ron Duke, the Reliable Man mare will be on trial for an Australian campaign.
“Safely through this and provided she runs very well again, she will probably head to Sydney for some nice fillies and mares’ races to try and get some black type,” Lock said.
“After chatting to the owners, we thought it would be a better option to have a go over there and then come home for some of the nicer races here in the spring.”