So Naive hasn’t put a foot wrong in his three-year-old campaign so far, and trainers Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley are hoping his purple patch of form continues at Te Rapa on Monday.
The U S Navy Flag colt was a handy two-year-old, winning two his four juvenile starts, but he blossomed into a three-year-old where he won the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) first-up before finishing runner-up to Savaglee in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m).
So Naive is on a path towards the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton next month and will have a final lead-in run in the Gr.2 James And Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) on Labour Day.
It is shaping as a vintage edition of the age group feature, with the field comprising of exciting Group One performer Captured By Love, in-form Hawke’s Bay Guineas victor Savaglee, and stakes winners Super Photon and Domain Ace.
Cooksley has been pleased with the way So Naive has been tracking since his last start and believes he will take further improvement from Monday’s hit-out into his Group One southern target.
“He has improved from last time, he has come along quite well,” Cooksley said. “Whatever he does on Monday he is going to improve on too, as long as the track is not too bad.”
Cooksley will be represented by two runners at Ellerslie on Saturday, including Chasing Warrior in the SKYCITY Horizon 1500, and Meaningful Star in the TAB 1600.
“Chasing Warrior needs a wet track and he is going to go out soon, and Meaningful Star is on the improve, he should go a good race,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cooksley has been pleased with Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) hopeful Trust In You’s Australian preparation, where he has finished fourth in the Gr.1 Metropolitan (2400m) and Gr.3 St Leger Stakes (2600m).
The six-year-old gelding is currently 31st in order of entry for the Melbourne Cup, and Cooksley has his fingers crossed that the son of Sweynesse can make it into the final field.
“He is going good races, he is just meeting better horses over there,” he said. “We are going to pay the next acceptance and then see what happens from there, he won’t race between now and then.”
Stablemate Sacred Satono could also be in for an international preparation, with the son of Satono Aladdin nominated for the Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin in December.
He has been freshened since his third placing in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings last month and will likely have a trial next week ahead of his summer preparation.
“He might trial next Tuesday and then first-up at Pukekohe over 1100m,” Cooksley said.