Quality mare Islington Lass sounded a warning to her rivals in next Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) with a commanding performance at the Foxton trials on Tuesday.
Guided by local apprentice Lily Sutherland, Islington Lass settled in the trailing position from her inside gate, cruising through the opening 800m before hitting the lead in the straight and pulling away comfortably in the finish to take out the 1200m heat.
Allan Sharrock, who trains Islington Lass out of New Plymouth, had initially planned to have the mare starting in last Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Te Rapa after she won at the venue on September 15.
In her final lead-in run two weeks later, an eighth-placed finish behind eventual Livamol winner Snazzytavi convinced Sharrock to change tact, opting to head to Trentham following the eye-catching trial.
“It was a super trial,” he said.
“We probably could’ve gone on to the Livamol after her last run, but I just didn’t think she raced well enough, so we opted to bail out and go to the Thompson next Sunday.
“She’s got a very good strike rate, so I couldn’t really put her run there down to anything other than she wasn’t on that day, so I elected to back off her a wee bit and give her a trial today instead.
“She’s only got one stumbling block in that race, and that is the stablemate Ladies Man.”
Ladies Man won last year’s Livamol Classic and subsequently placed in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) and Gr.1 Bonecrusher Stakes (2000m), but an interrupted preparation due to a number of abandonments ruled the son of Zed out of defending his crown last weekend.
The talented seven-year-old showed plenty of fight when finishing second to fellow topweight Mustang Valley over a mile at Tauranga on October 5, his second run of the current campaign.
“He’s a very good horse and they’ll go toe-to-toe in the Thompson, she (Islington Lass) will probably get four kilograms off him, so maybe that will be the difference, who knows,” Sharrock said.
“He’s going pretty well too the big boy, so it will be a tight contest.
“He’s strong up to a mile-and-a-half and she’s probably the same, she’s out of a Montjeu mare who goes back to Limitless’ family (Brisbane Cup winner), so you could easily see her getting past 2000m.
“Safely through that race, we’ll make some plans towards Christmas.”
Sharrock’s stable will have a sole representative at Otaki this Saturday, with well-performed mare Sumi contesting the Open 1600m.
The Atlante mare is a winner of seven races and has placed at Group Three and Listed level through her career. She finished fifth at her most recent start in the Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) a fortnight ago, two lengths behind The Hottie.
“It was a good run, she probably needed something to drag her into the race at the 600,” Sharrock said.
“Harry Grace (jockey) rode her well, she was a little bit tardily away but he gave her a nice run in transit. The run had merit and this looked a winnable race on Saturday, so I think she’ll be right in it up to her teeth.”