Promising filly Diablo Blanco will kick-off her preparation towards a southern stakes target when she heads to Phar Lap Raceway on Thursday to tackle the McMillan Feeds (1200m).
The daughter of Super Seth showed plenty of ability as a juvenile, winning two of her five starts and finished fourth behind subsequent Group One winner Captured By Love in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham last December.
She continued her winning form into her three-year-old term, winning over 1200m on the Riccarton Synthetic, but put in an uncustomary poor showing when 10th in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton in September.
Trainer Richard Didham has ruled a line through that run and is starting afresh with his filly this week after giving her a freshen-up post her Canterbury Belle run.
“Things didn’t really go to plan and we are just forgetting about it and starting fresh,” he said.
Diablo Blanco will resume over 1200m on Thursday and Didham is expecting a bold showing, with the aim of having her peaking for the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui next month.
“She seems in tip top shape,” he said. “This run should just tighten her up for the three-year-old fillies race at Wingatui on Boxing Day.”
Didham has taken plenty of confidence out of last Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) result and believes his charge will be very competitive in her southern stakes assignment on Boxing Day.
“Her Wellington form, when she ran fourth, she was only four lengths behind Captured By Love, and we all saw what she did in the Guineas. Her form is definitely pretty strong,” he said.
Didham will also head to Timaru with polytrack specialist Chairman, who is set to return to his favoured surface next month after competing in Thursday’s Young Bucks NZ Motor Corporation (1600m).
“Timaru is a handy horses track. He will get on speed, and he will give a really good sight,” Didham said. “He went a really good race in the Open 1400m at Riccarton last week.
“There is a really nice race on the synthetic at the Christmas meeting on the 6th of December. He has already won three from five on the synthetic.”