Riccarton trainer Terri Rae will be looking to New Zealand Cup Week with more confidence following the standout performances of Double O’ Seven and promising filly Lunvwar in the feature events at Ashburton on Monday.
Classy five-year-old Double O’ Seven claimed the first of the features on the rescheduled card in the McCrea Painters & Decorators Ashburton Cup (1600m), travelling comfortably one-off-the-fence in fourth under Kylie Williams behind a strong tempo set by Ears Back.
The Belardo gelding headed the pacemaker alongside tough mare Second Thought and the pair went to battle at the 200m, Double O’ Seven getting the better of Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong’s charge to the post to score by 1-1/4 lengths.
“He went super, he’s a lovely horse,” Rae said.
“Kylie rode him super. She’s had two rides on him for two wins and she gets on with him really well.”
Bred and part-owned by Brent and Cherry Taylor of Trelawney Stud, Double O’ Seven joined Rae’s stable during the autumn/winter period from Tony Pike’s Cambridge barn and won in his Southern debut at Oamaru in June.
“The owners were just looking for a little bit softer company for him down here, he had a spell before he came down and he’s going well,” Rae said.
The victory took Double O’ Seven to five wins from 16 starts, and Rae potentially intents to send the gelding straight into the Gr.3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) on the middle day of Cup Week, where he has shortened to $21 with TAB bookmakers.
In the following race stablemate Luvnwar recorded an eye-catching third in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) behind the favoured Te Akau pair in Star of Justice and Viva Vienna.
A daughter of War Decree, Luvnwar jumped from barrier eight and was caught awkwardly wide in the early stages, eventually settling fourth-last up to the home turn and produced a huge effort scorching home late to finish just over a length from victor Star of Justice.
“She went absolutely super, she got back a little bit with a sticky draw and I think she was about third or fourth last going across the top so she had to shift ground a bit. She made up great ground at the finish and just missed second,” Rae said.
“She’s got a Group placing now which is pretty valuable for a filly, and now that she’s over a little bit more ground stepping up from the 1200m suits her as a tall lanky filly.”
Luvnwar was rated a $34.50 chance at the jump having recorded a fourth on debut behind Talisker, before claiming a comprehensive maiden victory last month on the Riccarton Synthetic.
The three-year-old has now shortened into $18 in the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm 51st 1000 Guineas (1600m), and Rae is taking a similar approach as with the stablemate in possibly heading straight into the fillies’ feature, bypassing the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m) in a fortnight.
“She’ll possibly just go straight into the Guineas from here and that little bit more ground will be good for her as well,” she said.
“We might look to run her in the mile (War Decree Stakes) in a couple of weeks, but probably not with the boys in as well.”
Rae will be represented by several runners when Ashburton holds their third meeting in a week on Sunday, represented by fellow War Decree filly Sugar and lightly raced four-year-old Guitar Man.