The track may not be entirely to Jodelin Gal’s liking on Saturday, but the talented mare will take her place at Te Rapa with a view to a return in a fortnight’s time for a stakes assignment.
The daughter of Swiss Ace produced an encouraging last-start performance ahead of the Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate Day 26 August Handicap (1200m).
Trainer Stephen Marsh was buoyed by her effort to finish runner-up at Ruakaka ,and his only concern this weekend is a heavily rain-affected surface.
“She’s a good mare but she has never really done a lot at Te Rapa and I wonder if she is looking for better tracks now so it’s a shame the rain has come again,” he said.
“The draw (nine) may play a good part for her after we took her up to Ruakaka last time on a better track and she thrived on it.
“She is a bit of a tricky one, but I want to give her this run to prepare her for the Foxbridge Plate (Gr.2, 1200m).”
A six-time winner and stakes placed when third in last season’s Listed Tauranga Classic (1400m), Jodelin Gal is likely to be joined in the Foxbridge by stablemate Mazzolino.
The Savabeel mare is a full sister to Gr.1 Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) victor Atishu, and beat subsequent dual top-flight winner Pennyweka when successful for Marsh in last season’s Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).
“She’s coming up great and will trial again next week and may kick off in the Foxbridge. She’s the only one we’ve nominated for all three legs of the Triple Crown at Hastings,” he said.
Marsh will have a number of runners at Te Rapa and has a strong chance of opening the program on a winning note with Penurious in the SVS Starting Gates Maiden (2100m) off the back of a last-start second on the all-weather track at Cambridge.
“Warren (Kennedy) was very keen to stick with her and thought she could win,” he said.
Kennedy will also ride the consistent C’Est Moi in the Skycity Hamilton Waikato Cup Day 16 December Handicap (1400m).
“She is going really well, although Casino Princess will be hard to beat, and Kentucky Rose was stakes placed at the end of her last preparation and I think she’ll go well,” Marsh said.
Kentucky Rose was given a break after she ran third in the Gr.3 Championship Stakes (2100m) and will be third-up into the Good Luck One NZ Warriors Mile (1600m).
“We’ve got quite a nice team and I think they’re all worthy chances and the track shouldn’t worry them, Jodelin Gal is the one I’m not sure about,” Marsh said.
He also has multiple representation on the closing day of the Grand National meeting at Riccarton, where he expects the reliable Deels Done to be hard to beat in the Group 1 Raceday Party 16 September Rating 75 (2000m).
He has placed in his last three appearances and will benefit from Lemmy Douglas’ 3kg allowance.
“Deels Done is going really well and with the claim he looks the tidiest there, and the wet track won’t bother him,” Marsh said.