The Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival is set to get an injection of international flavour, with Warrnambool raider Rolls set to contest the final two legs of the Hastings triple crown.
Trainer Maddie Raymond was in search of more forgiving ground during spring, and after consultation with her expat Kiwi partner Patrick Bell, she decided the Hawke’s Bay carnival presented as a nice option for last year’s Listed Warrnambool Cup (2350m) winner.
“My partner, Patrick Bell, who is travelling over with him, is originally from New Zealand and he is really looking forward to getting back home with one of our team,” Raymond said.
“We are coming into a spring carnival over here where our tracks tend to dry out a bit and the quality of racing gets really strong.
“I think the horse is going absolutely super. He is not an easy horse to place over here. Paddy has always followed New Zealand racing and always wanted to take a horse over there, and this horse fits the profile really well.”
The eight-year-old gelding has been a key player in Raymond’s fledgling training career, and she is excited to be able to target some Group One features for his loyal owners.
“He has always been a good, honest horse,” she said. “He is a homebred horse that the owners bred themselves. It is only a small ownership group, with eight people in it.
“I was lucky enough when I took out my licence to get the horse, having worked for the previous trainer. He has been a nice, progressive horse, but he has finally truly furnished and matured.
“He can do a bit wrong in races and get a bit keen and competitive, but he has really flourished in the last 12 to 18 months.”
Rolls won in convincing fashion last start over 1523m at The Valley and will have one final run at Flemington on Saturday over 1700m before heading across the Tasman next week.
“It was a bonus to get a win on the board in a lead-up run,” Raymond said. “He won impressively and dominated what was not a bad field.
“We couldn’t be any happier with him (ahead of Saturday). He has drawn a bit sticky (15), but I think Flemington suits him. He is a tractable horse and you can rider him wherever you need to in the run.
“There is a little bit of speed in the race tomorrow. Being the last race, we will just see how the track is playing to how we ride him. There is a bit of cut in the ground, which will suit him.”
Rolls is booked to hop on a plane to New Zealand next Wednesday, and Raymond is confident he will be competitive in his two Kiwi assignments.
“He will fly over on Wednesday night and we are going to stay with Andrew Campbell at Otaki,” she said. “He is a horse that really enjoys his beach training. It is close to home for Paddy, that is the area where he is from.
“He (Rolls) is just a tough, honest horse. He is the type of horse that you are happy to head away with knowing that they are going to go over there and put in 110 percent.
“I think his best trip is anywhere from a mile to 2000m, and I think he will be a good chance in both races.”