Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta is hopeful she can claim the lion’s share of the $400,000 purse in Saturday’s Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m) with her triumvirate of runners.
Dual Group Three winner Belardo Boy has drawn the widest (12) of the three in the Trentham feature and Latta is hoping for some rain ahead of the weekend to aid his chances.
“We are looking for the fire out of the ground on Saturday,” Latta told TAB NZ.
“He has been up a fair while, but his run at Wanganui (over 1340m last start) was a really pleasing run (for second). He did get a slow track that day and I don’t know if we are going to get quite the same on Saturday.
“He does go well if you can switch him off in behind.”
Stablemate Platinum Invador heads into the weekend in a fresh state, having last run in the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2050m) at Pukekohe on Melbourne Cup Day.
The son of Redwood was runner-up in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings two starts back and Latta is hoping he can return to similar form from barrier seven.
“I couldn’t be happier with him,” she said. “He had two weeks in the paddock after going north. He seems to go a bit better on the fresher side. The mile may be a touch short of his best, but he does go well after a freshen-up.”
The winner of this year’s Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m), Platinum Invador will be aimed at the two-mile feature once more following Saturday’s assignment.
“We are just keeping him to the weight-for-ages at the moment and we will put a nomination in for the Auckland Cup. Just because of the weights, we don’t want to give him too many runs at that top weight,” Latta said.
Her’s A Doozy will round out Latta’s representation in the TAB Classic and will jump from gate five.
The son of Zacinto has struggled to find form this preparation, finishing ninth in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) and 11th in the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m), before failing to defend his crown in the Gr.3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton last month.
While disappointed with his ninth placed result, Latta said it did not reflect his performance.
“I think his run was a bit better than it first looked. He ran the second fastest last 600m, there was a bit of on-speed bias that day,” she said.
Her’s A Doozy tasted Group One success over 1600m at Trentham earlier this year in the Thorndon Mile, and Latta is expecting a bold showing from the gelding on his favoured track, having also tasted success in the Gr.3 Thompson Handicap (1600m) at the Upper Hutt venue.