After starting the season as a maiden, in-form Matamata visitor Channel Surfer will chase a deserved stakes title to complete his four-year-old year at Trentham on Saturday in the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m).
Two years after taking out the Gr.3 Manco Easter Handicap (1600m) with Carolina Reaper, Matamata trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall have repeated and surpassed that result with a one-three finish headed by the rising star Snazzytavi.
Snazzytavi has seemingly flown through the grades this season, and the talented mare will prepare for another black-type target in Wednesday’s Holster Engineering Lally and Symes South Waikato Cup (2000m) at Matamata.
One of the unluckiest horses in the top echelon of New Zealand racing in recent times, Bonny Lass turned things around with a supreme front-running performance in Saturday’s Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa.
