Lux Libertas kicked off her campaign in July as a maidener and on Saturday she will be given the opportunity to prove herself in Open company for the first time in the Financial Services 1300.
The Almanzor four-year-old has powered through the grades this preparation, winning five of her last six starts over 1200m and 1400m, including a dominant display in MAAT company at Te Rapa’s feature meeting on October 12.
Andrew Scott, who trains Lux Libertas in partnership with Lance O’Sullivan, is under no illusions that Saturday’s contest will be a test for the mare, with top-weight and dual Group One winner La Crique among a very strong line-up in the open handicap.
“She just continues to handle her preparation well, she seems to be gaining more and more confidence,” Scott said.
“Obviously this is quite a step-up in class, but with the way she’s racing and training, we believe she’s going to be competitive. She has to shorten in trip a wee bit and go right-handed, but she continues to cope well, stay sound and maintain a really good level, so we’re confident she’ll run well.
“Our plan was to introduce her to open grade this weekend, and if her performance warranted it, we could look towards running her in the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.2, 1400m) on the 23rd of November.”
The Wexford contingent will be represented by a further three runners at the meeting, including Prosegur, who made a strong account of herself when saluting on debut at Taupo.
The three-year-old Proisir filly had the advantage of an inside barrier on that occasion, a luxury she will be without on Saturday, having drawn the outside in an original field of eight for the Armory Standing at Mapperley Stud 3YO.
“We were pleased with her performance at Taupo, a lot went right for her that day and she had a good draw and quickened out well for an inexperienced horse,” Scott said.
“She’s taken good improvement from the experience of a run under her belt, but she’s another horse who goes right-handed for the first time, and after drawing one on debut, she goes to the outside this time.
“It won’t be so easy for her this week, but she’s certainly a filly that we think when she gets out to 1400 and a mile, she’s going to have a good summer.
“It may be a case of continuing to educate her a wee bit on Saturday, but she’ll finish strong.”
Scott believes a bright future lies ahead also for Tanganyika, a gelding who was lightly raced through a successful three-year-old period. A winner of two from five starts, Tanganyika has been away from the races since mid-February, where he finished fifth in the Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1200m), just a length from the winner in Pericles.
“He had a good year and he’s had really good physical development from three to four,” Scott said.
“He’s a horse that we believe will get to open grade this campaign, and whilst he’s a bit disadvantaged in the draw (13) on Saturday he makes up for that on ability.
“We’ve got high hopes for him this season.”
Masa Hashizume will ride the son of Ace High in the Tauranga Crossing 1200, while Kevin Stott has been booked aboard progressive stayer Incredible in the New World 1300.
Another horse with just five starts under his belt, Incredible built to a tidy maiden victory over 2000m in mid-May, a distance Scott believes will be right up his alley in the coming months.
“He’s a promising horse, he’s only kicking off here but once he gets out to a mile and 2000m, we think he’s a really nice up-and-coming New Zealand stayer,” he said.
“He’s got a wee way of the process in front of him before getting out to a favourable trip, but he’s certainly a stronger horse this time around and we think he’ll have a good summer.”