Stephen Marsh is building towards the second and third days of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival with a bit more confidence after a pleasing trial by El Vencedor on the Cambridge synthetic track on Friday.
El Vencedor was one of last season’s breakout stars, improving throughout a 10-start campaign that began in August and culminated in a superb victory in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie in March.
The son of Shocking also won the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) and finished second in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) and Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m), third in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m), and fourth in the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) and Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m).
El Vencedor kicked off his six-year-old preparation with victory in a 1000m trial at Avondale on August 13, and Marsh was every bit as satisfied with his performance for third behind Liquid Fire and Nancy She Wrote in Friday’s 1300m heat.
“I thought he trialled up beautifully,” the Cambridge trainer said. “He was just there for a quiet little look around. We didn’t really ask him to do anything.
“I particularly loved the way he settled today. He just had a tendency to go that little bit hard in his last preparation, and he was probably a bit firm on the bridle in his first trial this time in as well. With the ear muffs on today, he went terrific.
“It was exactly what we were hoping to see from him, and Joe Doyle was full of praise for him when he came back in.
“He’s ready to go. He’ll kick off in an open 1400m at Ruakaka next Saturday, and then all going well, we’ll look at the last two Group One races at Hastings.”
The TAB rates El Vencedor a $10 chance for the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) on September 24, sharing the fourth line of favouritism with Campionessa. That market is headed by Orchestral ($4), Mustang Valley ($5) and Skew Wiff ($7).
El Vencedor is a $7 second favourite for the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) on October 12, again sharing that quote with Campionessa. The favourite is Orchestral at $3.50.
Meanwhile, Marsh also won heats at Cambridge on Friday with unraced three-year-olds I’m Out The Gate and Navy Icon, as well as Pinky Pie, who ran third behind the classy Magice and Whiskey ‘N Roses in her only raceday appearance.
“I think we’ve got quite a nice bunch of younger horses coming through, and some of them trialled today and went really well,” Marsh said. “It was nice to give them a good hit-out on the synthetic track today.
“We’ll probably take a couple of them to Ellerslie on the 10th, giving them an opportunity to trial on the turf, and then we’ll look at kicking them off on raceday. We should have a bit to look forward to once the tracks improve.”