Two weeks after a highly creditable performance at Group One level, talented filly Connello will continue her black-type quest in Saturday’s Listed The O’Learys Fillies’ Stakes (1340m) at Wanganui.
The daughter of Time Test has already delivered an outstanding return for her owner David Woodhouse, who paid just $10,000 to buy her from the 2022 National Weanling Sale at Karaka. She has had 11 starts for three wins, two placings and $93,465 in stakes.
A winner at New Plymouth as an autumn two-year-old, Connello resumed this spring with a close fifth in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton before stringing together back-to-back victories at Hawera and Trentham in October.
Trainer Lisa Latta sent Connello on another southern mission earlier this month, this time to contest the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) on November 16. She finished a close fifth behind Captured By Love, Alabama Lass, Movin Out and Love Poem.
“We thought that was a pretty good run, particularly bearing in mind that she got a fairly decent knock at the top of the straight,” Woodhouse said. “She was also a bit wide coming around the bend, so it was a good effort.
“Lisa and her team have been very happy with her since then. The big question will be how much that trip has taken out of her, but Lisa’s seen no signs of any fatigue.
“She’s a tough little thing. She tries her hardest every time. She’s needed to grow a bit, because she was quite small as a two-year-old, but she’s furnished into a very nice filly now.
“She’s already given a pretty good return for that purchase price, and a bit of black type would be lovely and would really add to her value.”
Connello will be ridden by Chris Dell in Saturday’s three-year-old fillies’ feature. The TAB rates her a $4 second favourite behind Te Akau Racing’s last-start maiden winner Celestial Wonder, who heads the market at $2.80.
Meanwhile, Woodhouse’s star homebred mare Belclare is set to return to Sydney for a spell after a below-par performance in Saturday’s Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1600m) in Perth.
The dual Group One winner ventured west in supreme form, having strung together back-to-back wins in the Gr.2 The Invitation (1400m) at Randwick and the Gr.2 Hot Danish Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill. But the front-running tactics that delivered those successes brought a very different result at Ascot, with the Per Incanto mare the first one beaten in the straight and dropping out to finish last in the field of 16.
“She was very disappointing,” Woodhouse said. “Bjorn (Baker, trainer) said I might have been on to something when I’d previously suggested she’s not as good left-handed, but I’m not sure.
“It was her third race within the space of four weeks, which is something we never did with her in New Zealand. She used to come home for a few days in the paddock after every run here, and three weeks was pretty much the shortest gap we ever gave her between runs. I just think it was one race too many.
“Perhaps the Gold Rush (Gr.3, 1400m) in a couple of weeks’ time might have been the better race to try to target over there. But hindsight is always easy in the racing game.
“Bjorn has Overpass racing in Perth this weekend, and I think they’ll both head back to Sydney after that. I haven’t talked to Bjorn about what we’ll do with her next, but I think she’ll have a good break now.
“The risk now is whether the tracks will be too rain-affected for her in the autumn, but we’ll have to wait and see.”