Robbie Patterson will have a strong hand to play at Trentham on Sunday with major plans tentatively in place for two of his five representatives.
The New Plymouth trainer’s team is spearheaded by Gr.3 Gee & Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) contender Secret Amour and impressive debutante Coogee Kate, who runs in the Life Direct Wellington Guineas Prelude (1200m).
Niagara mare Secret Amour has opened her current campaign with a pair of runner-up finishes, most recently in the Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m).
“She’s going well and she’ll be well-suited to the handicap with 53.5kg and a mile on a big, roomy track,” Patterson said.
“Everything is pointing to a really good run and I couldn’t be happier with her. The way she finishes off, she is screaming out for a mile.”
Success for Secret Amour will confirm a return to Trentham on December 3 to chase higher honours.
“If she wins and I’m happy with her, I’ll target the Captain Cook Stakes (Gr.1, 1600m) and give her a run in between times at Pukekohe in the fillies and mares’ race,” Patterson said, referring to the Gr.2 Dunstan Feeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m).
Coogee Kate wasn’t seriously tested to win an age group event at Otaki last month and Patterson said the daughter of Astern was untapped.
“I don’t know how good she is, she’s got the biggest engine. She was always going to improve lengths with her first-up run as she hadn’t been to the trials.
“Conservatively, I reckon she’s improved five lengths with that race so she’ll be pretty competitive.”
A return to Trentham for a longer-term stakes target in January and a possible overseas venture are both on the cards for Coogee Kate, a A$45,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy for fellow New Plymouth horseman Warren Bolton.
“The Wellington Guineas (Gr.2, 1400m) is her target and, if she’s as good as we think, the owners are keen to go to Sydney with her in the autumn,” Patterson said.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge, but this horse could be anything.”
Craig Grylls will ride the Patterson pair and the two have a good winning strike rate with 11 wins from 38 starts together.
“We’re good mates and it gives me so much confidence when I leg him up. I don’t tell him anything, he knows more than me,” Patterson said.
Grylls will also be aboard the resuming Mary Louise in the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport Handicap (1400m) and Preferment first starter Peefore in the Hydro-Cell Pumps Maiden (1200m) for the stable.
“I really like Mary Louise and she’s a cups’ horse in the making. She is a beautiful animal, a big, free-going horse and they will get a big fright from her on Sunday,” Patterson said.
By The Bold One, Mary Louise was a debut winner at Hawera last season and was turned out after finishing third at Hawera.
“Peefore is a nice horse who won a trial and got beaten in another one when second on a very heavy track,” Patterson said.
His other runner is Conor O’Ceirin in the Rydges Wellington Reopening Soon Handicap, in which the son of Dial A Prayer will be ridden by 4kg claimer Ciel Butler who guided the six-year-old to a last-start victory at Waverley.
“You know what you’re going to get from him. He’s a big, bold horse and will have no weight (50.5kg) on him so I think he’s going to be pretty competitive,” Patterson said.